Earlier this year, a Texas woman, who once won a jackpot drawing, won her third big scratch-off prize. Yup, she won four times. Total take: about $21 million.
Last year, North Carolina farmer Billy Doby, who won $10,000 the year before, played a $20 scratch-off game and won $3 million.
In January 2005, Donna Goeppert, 55, of Bethlehem, Pa., won $1 million playing the $1 Million Blockbuster instant game - then did it again that June.
In publicizing her win, state officials pointed out that over a 12-year period, a Carbon County man won four jackpots worth a sum of $3 million.
Also in 1985, Keith Selix, 81, of Waterloo, Iowa, won three scratch-off prizes totalling a lot less - $81,000. But at least he offered an explanation: He had help from the spirit of his recently departed wife.
In 2002, Angelo and Maria Gallina, of Belmont, Calif., won twice in a single day. After winning $126,000 in a playing Fantasy Five, they hit for $17 million in SuperLotto.
And this is by no means an exhaustive list.
Yet, in the California case, the odds were put at 1 in 24 trillion, which sounds as if it shouldn't have happened.
Except it did. And does.
Part of the explanation lies in confusion created by words like anyone or someone.
What are the chances of anyone winning the next Cash 5 jackpot?
Well, if you mean any individual person - you or me or John Jingleheimer Smith - who buys a single ticket, the odds are 1 in nearly 1 million.
But if you mean anyone anywhere ever, the odds are certain. No "wow" at all. Each jackpot eventually gets won.
Now, consider the case of the double winner. What are the chances of anyone winning twice?
For you or the next guy to replicate Randy Rittenbaugh's feat by buying exactly two tickets - emphasis on exactly two - the odds are 1 in 462 billion.
