Woman Turns $25 Lottery Win Into $500,000 In Whippany

WHIPPANY, NJ— Any gambler will tell you that you need to learn when to walk away from a game. They'll also tell you that you need you need to learn when to double down.

Kathleen, an avid player of scratch off lottery tickets, knows the second lesson well. She was able to turn $15 into $500,000 by using scratch off winnings to buy tickets with progressively larger payouts.

She usually spends just $5 per ticket, and stuck to that when she stopped at the Jefferson Road Quick Chek in Whippany. Kathleen picked up three tickets, and won $25.

Using that $10 gain, Kathleen bought two more $5 tickets and won another $30.

Some people might have taken the $30 and walked away, happy with a profitable lunch, but not Kathleen.

She bought a $20 Mega Crossword, and on that ticket, won the top prize of $500,000.

Kathleen and her husband David will use the winnings to pay off some bills and their children's college expenses.

Image via NJ Lottery