IRONTON, Ohio — An Ohio man said he uses a “top secret” family formula when it comes to picking lottery numbers. But it was pure luck when he scratched off one ticket on Oct. 22 and won $80,000 a year for 25 years.

“Oh my God, is this real?” said the man, referred to as “J.” by Ohio Lottery officials in a news release.

The Ironton resident scratched off a $30 Royal Riches ticket and said he was in disbelief. The man said he took out his magnifying glass and then sent a photo of the winning ticket to a family member to ensure that he was looking at a big payday.

Appropriately, the man bought the winning ticket from a Lucky Choice store in Columbus, lottery officials said.

A frequent winner of smaller prizes, “J.” plays Pick 3 games and scratch-offs regularly. He told lottery officials that he often uses a “top-secret family formula” for picking his numbers based on notes tracking previous wins.

The winner chose the cash option and will take home $728,750 after state and federal taxes, lottery officials said. He said he plans to give some of his winnings to family members and his church. He also plans to buy a new vehicle.

Lottery officials said the scratch-off game has four top prizes remaining and 10 second-tier prizes left.

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