Cancer patient’s huge lottery win in Kentucky ‘couldn’t have come at a better time’

Out of work as he underwent treatment for his cancer diagnosis, a Kentucky man’s new hobby turned out to be a fruitful one.

Frank Long, of Bowling Green, said he was “bored” and could “have gone stir crazy” if it weren’t for him playing lottery games online.

After winning $700 two times, his wife encouraged him to “goof off” on Tuesday, Oct. 11, and go big with a $20 wager in the Bank Buster Jackpot Instant Play game.

The wager won Long $234,176.97, leaving him in disbelief.

“I kept clicking on (the winning message), thinking it isn’t real,” Long said, according to lottery officials. “I didn’t believe it until I got the confirmation email from the Kentucky Lottery.”

A day later, he and his wife traveled to the Kentucky Lottery headquarters to collect a check for $166,265, after taxes.

He said the lottery win “couldn’t have come at a better time,” as he has been under financial stress since his cancer diagnosis.

“It took a lot off of me and I’m still trying to process,” he said. “This is sure shocking.”

Lottery officials said Long recently completed his last chemotherapy and radiation treatments.

This story was originally published October 17, 2022 at 4:03 PM with the headline "Cancer patient’s huge lottery win in Kentucky ‘couldn’t have come at a better time’."