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Tuesday, November 24, 2009
71-Year-Old's Persistence Pays Off Using the Same Numbers He Always Plays in Hot Lotto
By Charles D. Brunt
Journal Staff Writer
Elida resident Aurbra King is a man of few words, even when he hits a $1.1 million lottery.
When asked how he plans to spend the money, he said, "I've got four kids, 11 grandkids and eight great-grandkids. Now, what else do you want to know?"
King, 71, who had the nation's only ticket matching all six numbers in Wednesday's Hot Lotto game, was in Albuquerque on Monday to collect his winnings.
Instead of taking a $1.1 million annuity, King opted to take the cash option of about $720,000. After taxes, he will pocket around $497,000. He said he's sharing the money with his four children and their families.
King said he plays the same numbers every time he buys a ticket for the twice-weekly Hot Lotto drawings — 5, 17, 23, 29, 39 and 15 for the game's Hot Ball.
Before he retired, King ran the Elida Water Department for 18 years. Elida, population 183, is a farming community in Roosevelt County about 23 miles southwest of Portales. If the Allsup's convenience store there isn't already the most popular business in town, it likely will be after selling the winning ticket.
King told lottery officials he checked his ticket a couple of days after the drawing when someone told him the New Mexico Lottery was looking for the winner.
When asked how his family reacted to the news, King said, "They like to all passed out."
This is New Mexico's third Hot Lotto jackpot since the state joined the multistate game in November 2006. A Farmington man won $1 million in August 2007 and an Albuquerque man won $5.6 million in February 2008.
Proceeds from lottery sales provide scholarships to state-supported schools and universities.
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