This Man Won the Lottery 18 Times — Here’s His Advice for Playing

For many of us, winning the lottery is a dream that’s never come true, and may never come true in our lifetimes. The odds of winning are staggering, and so when we lose, we’re often disappointed but not entirely surprised, because it’s rare to actually win any real money playing the lottery.

But the same can’t be said for Idaho resident Robert Bevan, who secured his 18th lottery win in May 2026. And that isn’t a typo; he has literally won the lottery almost 20 times. It sounds impossible, but the Idaho Lottery reported the news via its Instagram page, detailing his most recent win, his past wins, and what he says is the reason he’s managed to do what many people likely never will.

Keep scrolling to find out.

On May 7, 2026, Robert Bevan of Idaho was handed a check worth $50,000 from Scratch Games after playing the $1,000,000 King Scratch Game. While the win was certainly notable, and probably helpful given our current economic climate, what’s even more impressive is that this isn’t Bevan’s first time winning the lottery.

He’s actually won 18 times since 1997.

In a post shared to the Idaho Lottery Instagram page on May 11, 2026, the state agency explained, “Recently, Robert made a familiar trip back to the Idaho Lottery Winners Lobby to claim a $50,000 prize on the $1,000,000 King Scratch Game. But while looking back through our records, we uncovered something incredible.”

The agency went on to reveal several other times Bevan struck gold playing the lottery, including the time he won a car. No, really.

And now you’re probably wondering what other prizes Bevan has received over the years, and more importantly, what tips he might have for others, given just how lucky he’s been. More on that below.

Since 1997, Bevan has won the lottery 18 times (it’s just so shocking we can’t help but repeat it!). And here’s what some of those wins have looked like. Back in 1997, Bevan won a Chevy four-door Blazer after playing in the “Blazer Bucks” lottery that left seven Idaho residents with one of these vehicles.

Bevan then went on to claim a $200,000 prize in 2014, several $1,000 prizes, including one in 2015, a few $5,000 prizes, including one in 2016, multiple $20,000 prizes, and his most recent $50,000 win in 2026. It’s honestly unbelievable.

But Bevan doesn’t really credit being lucky for winning so many times. Instead, he reserves that word for his marriage of 40 years with his wife. “My real luck is 40 years with the same amazing woman,” Bevan told the Idaho Lottery.

He explained that playing the lottery is something he and his wife have done for years, whether they’re stopping for gas or picking up groceries, they’ll simply grab a ticket here and there. And in doing so, he says it’s really just been that “randomness” of buying tickets, and maybe being in the right place at the right time, that’s helped him win so many times. So while there’s no real strategy to winning the lottery, the takeaway is pretty simple. Play randomly and don’t overthink it.