Man uses wife's phone number to win $2.64m

Every lottery buff has a special ritual or superstition. Some pick their numbers randomly and never spare another thought on the matter. Others prefer to choose numbers that bear some significance in their personal lives. Others still decide what numbers to play the lottery with on some whimsical notion.

Three decades of play result in a big jackpot win

This is precisely the case of Kevin Connor, a Massachusetts man, who used his wife’s old phone number to win a massive $2.64m jackpot from the state lottery. The man is now set to rake in $1.8m before state taxes, making for a life-changing amount.

The news had reached Connor while he was on a weekend trip to Maine, finding out through his lottery app that he had won the amount. Imagine the shock. Connor, though, has taken things in stride. He has already decided on what to do next with the money, arguing that he would be paying off some of his children’s tuition and – buy himself new socks out of all things!

How did the Rochdale village resident do it? For starters, he spent 30 years trying the exact same numbers, playing Megabucks repeatedly over the decades. To win, though Connor still had to use a combination of his wife’s old phone number – from back when the couple first started dating – and his wife’s favorite numbers.

Odds are slim but the "investment" is small as well

The odds of winning are rather slim as well, set at 1 in 7,059,052 and therefore not the easiest thing in the world. Connor’s commitment to the lottery is perhaps something that won him the prize, although it’s not necessarily always the case.

However, with a lottery ticket cost set at $2 and there being 104 draws per year, for a total of 30 years, Conor had to spend $6,240 trying his luck. The gamble seems to have paid off, as the player has won away with an eye-watering sum.

The winning ticket was sold at Hillcrest Country Club which will fetch the shop a $26,400 bonus.

Image credit: Massachusetts Lottery