C-Falls woman wins $50,000 Scratch game

A Columbia Falls woman is $50,000 richer after winning the “Slingo Trio” Scratch game with a ticket she purchased at Super 1 Foods.

Ronna Sweeney claimed the top prize Dec. 20. She said she occasionally picks up Scratch tickets, and two nights earlier she purchased a few along with groceries for her family.

The largest amount she had ever won before was $100, so she was shocked when she scratched off a $50,000 winner. She drove back to the store at 10 p.m. to scan the ticket. The readout said “File Claim,” and two days later she traveled to Helena to do just that.

Sweeney said she plans to use her prize money to pay off some bills and make sure her children have a particularly good Christmas this year.

The “Slingo Trio” Scratch game debuted Nov. 11 with prizes up to $50,000. The Montana Lottery was created by referendum in 1986. Since then, it has paid out more than $435 million to players in prizes and returned more than $197 million to the state of Montana.