Tennessee Lottery retailers are still selling tickets, and obviously, Tennesseans are still buying them. A TN resident hitting a Lotto America jackpot worth millions proved that last Wednesday.
Blue Wing Market along McMinnville Highway in Woodbury sold the ticket. The numbers on the ticket matched not only the five numbers in the draw but the Star Ball as well, boosting the value of the ticket to $9.01 million.
Details on the big Lotto America jackpot
So far, the TN Lottery hasn’t disclosed the identity of the winner. The feat is quite newsworthy, however, as the odds of hitting all six numbers are astronomical.
All that’s certain right now is the TN Lottery has verified the win. Lottery officials also shared that the person is the 291st to win at least $1 million since TN established the lottery in 2004.
Although he/she couldn’t have gone to claim the prize in person, as the TN Lottery has closed its claim centers, he or she can still arrange an in-person meeting. Lottery officials will come to you if you have a ticket worth at least $50,000.
Even though the state lottery closed the claim centers, players can still claim their prizes regardless of the size. For tickets worth at least $601 but less than $50,000, players can submit their claim via certified mail.
Players can cash out tickets of $600 or less at any TN Lottery retailer. During this time where viral transmission is a concern, there are a few steps to take to limit risk while still playing the TN Lottery games.
How to limit your risk while playing the TN Lottery
Although there is no online lottery in Tennessee, the TN Lottery does give you a few options to limit your contact at lottery retailers. That includes contactless payment options and the TN Lottery app.
The TN Lottery app lets you set up your plays on your Android or iOS device before you go to your favorite retailer. For example, you can set up a mobile play slip for draw-style games then simply finalize your purchase at the retailer.
Many retailers offer electronic ticket checkers and vending machines for the lottery as well. Using those will limit your contact with other people.
Using debit cards to pay for your lottery tickets instead of cash will not only limit contact for you but the people working at lottery retailers as well.
The Center for Disease Control (CDC) has a list of best practices when leaving the house during the coronavirus pandemic.
