LONOKE, Ark. – A Lonoke man may have been down on his luck earlier this week, but that luck turned around Friday when he learned he was $250,000 richer.

Officials with the Arkansas Scholarship Lottery said Eric Abbott’s original $5 50X lottery ticket wasn’t a winner. He suddenly became a winner after his name was drawn from all the eligible entries players submitted from non-winning scratch off tickets.

Abbott found out he was a winner Friday morning and claimed his prize at the ASL Claim Center in Little Rock, officials said.

“I woke up around 5 a.m. and decided to check my emails,” he said. “I was shocked when I came across a lottery email saying I had won in one of those second-chance drawings!”

After learning the news, Abbot said he still had concerns about his win.

“I immediately thought it was a scam, so I checked The Club website to see if my name was listed and called the lottery to confirm my win,” he added.

The news of the windfall was welcome after Abbot said his life took and unfortunate turn when he was let go from his job of 20 years earlier in the week. Abbott said he plans to purchase a new car and help his family and friends after his win.

“This is truly a blessing, and I’m thankful for the opportunity to help alleviate their financial stress,” he said.

Play It Again winners are contacted through their Club account profile, so ASL officials encourages all Club members to keep their email, mailing address, and phone number up to date.

Players can sign up for The Club by visiting MyArkansasLottery.com or via the official AR Lottery + Club Mobile App and clicking on “The Club.” The next Play It Again drawing is anticipated for Oct. 26 for a $500,000 lottery prize.

ASL officials also said that the LOTTO grand prize sits at $848,000 and the Powerball is up to $264 million for Saturday night’s drawings. Tickets are $2 per play for both games and can be purchased at all lottery retailers or on the Jackpocket app.