rapid city woman claims $110,745 dakota cash jackpot

Although Haugses husband, Jack, purchased the Quick Pick ticket at Boyds Drug Mart on Mountain View Road in Rapid City, he gave his wife the honor of claiming the jackpot. The store will receive a bonus of about $5,537 for selling the winning ticket. This is the seventh time this year the jackpot has been won in South Dakotas own lotto game.

Jack Haugse usually purchases his Quick Pick lotto tickets at this same location every week and also checks his tickets there following the drawings. Cheryl Haugse said although he didnt know right away when he scanned it that the Dakota Cash ticket he was holding was the jackpot winner, he knew something was different than normal.

When he scanned the ticket, it didnt come up with his normal not a winner message so he took it up to the clerk and had her check it. She got the same message he did, so thats when they printed out the winning numbers and checked them against the ticket, Cheryl said.

While the clerks excitement was already alerting other customers in the store to the win, the first person Jack called was his wife. And knowing what a prankster her husband can be, at first she didnt believe theyd won.

When he called, he asked if I was working hard and I said yes. Then he said I won Dakota Cash and my first response was For real? Are you serious? I didnt know whether to believe him or not, she said.

Once the intial shock had worn off that Jack Haugse did, indeed, have the winning ticket, Cheryl Haugse said they were both excited to have won and can definitely make good use of the money. The couple, which has three adult children and three grandchildren, plan to use part of the money to pay some bills and may also take a trip. Until Wednesday nights drawing, the couples biggest lottery win had been $100. Cheryl said although their biggest win is now a jackpot worth many times that amount, theyll continue to try their luck.

Winning the Dakota Cash jackpot is just proof that it really can happen to you, said Cheryl.

Dakota Cash is played only in South Dakota. The jackpot currently sits at $20,000 for Saturday nights drawing. The odds of winning the jackpot are 1: 324,632.