A Missouri Lottery player discovered he’d won a $4.5 million Lotto jackpot from the April 8 drawing while on his way to church.

“I stopped to get some Mega Millions and Show Me Cash tickets and had them print out the winning numbers from the night before,” he recalled. “I was in my truck, right before heading to church, when I saw that I’d won.”

His ticket, purchased at Vienna Quik Spot, 104 Highway 63 in Vienna, matched all six numbers drawn to win the first Lotto jackpot of 2023. The winning numbers on April 8 were 1, 17, 19, 20, 21 and 36.

“I had to send my brother a picture of the ticket to prove I won,” the winner laughed.

He shared plans to take a trip to Florida with some of the winnings.

Lotto is an in-state Draw Game, with drawings held every Wednesday and Saturday evening at 8:59 p.m. Tonight’s Lotto jackpot is $1.2 million.

In FY22, players who purchased tickets in Maries County won more than $1.4 million in total Missouri Lottery prizes. Lottery retailers in the county received more than $143,000 in commissions and bonuses, and education programs in the county received more than $132,000 in appropriated Lottery proceeds.