A Massachusetts Lottery player says it was intuition that led to him repeatedly playing the same five numbers on six Lucky for Life tickets. The man s clairvoyance finally paid off.
Raymond Roberts Sr. poses with his ceremonial check from the Massachusetts State Lottery. Roberts won a yearly $25,000 prize from the Massachusetts Lottery six times. (Image: Massachusetts State Lottery)The Massachusetts State Lottery revealed recently that Raymond Roberts Sr. of Fall River matched all five winning numbers for the lottery s nightly Lucky for Life drawing that took place on Wednesday, Dec. 14. Roberts matched the winning white ball numbers of 2-4-6-17-20. The odds of doing so are one in 1,813,027.
For overcoming the long odds, Lucky for Life comes with a top prize of $25,000 a year for life. But Roberts didn t win just once, but six times, as he purchased six $2 Lucky for Life tickets and picked the same five white numbers for the Dec. 14 drawing.
Roberts told lottery officials that the numbers are a combination of anniversary dates and birthdays. He said he s been sporadically playing the numbers for more than 20 years.
Roberts, a US military veteran who served in the Vietnam War, purchased his tickets at Royal Liquors at 4263 N. Main Street in Fall River. The store will receive $30,000 in bonuses for selling the six winning Lucky for Life tickets ($5,000 a piece).
Fall River is the winner of six $25,000 a year for life prizes in the multi-state Lucky for Life game. Want to know more? Visit:
Mass. State Lottery (@MAStateLottery)
Creative PayoutRoberts had the option of taking a one-time cash payment or receiving the full value of each Lucky for Life jackpot paid out over 20 years.
Lucky for Life isn t actually for life, but 20 years. At $25,000 a year, Roberts six winning tickets from the Dec. 14 drawing were each worth $500,000 before taxes.
Roberts chose the one-time cash option for five of the tickets, which totaled $1,950,000 before taxes. After federal and state withholdings, his net payment will be a little more than $1.1 million.
The feds tax lottery income the same as personal income. With Roberts making more than $2 million in 2022, he will fall into the highest tax bracket, which is subject to an effective federal tax rate of 37%. Massachusetts levies a 5% tax on lottery winnings.
Roberts opted to receive the full pre-tax value of his sixth Lucky for Life winning ticket. Roberts annual check from the lottery will be $25,000.
The state will take its 5%. But the feds cut will be dependent on Roberts other income and which tax bracket he falls into each year over the life of the 20-year annuity.
Roberts didn t detail any major spending plans with his newfound wealth. But he did say he wants to purchase a new motorcycle.
2022 Lucky for Life WinnersThe Massachusetts State Lottery says its Lucky for Life top prize of $25,000 a year for 20 years has been won 26 times this year, with Roberts responsible for six of those wins. However, Roberts wasn t the only player to win the game more than once in a single drawing.
During the Jan. 6, 2022, Lucky for Life drawing, a player purchased three $2 tickets at Rusty s Liquors in Roslindale and picked the same five winning numbers for the tickets.
