Willie purchased his winning ticket at Kwicky Mart on Prytania Drive in New Orleans.

He played his ticket as a "straight" set, which meant that his numbers had to match the numbers drawn in exact order to win $2,500 on a 50-cent play.

"It feels good to win!  For now, I'm going to save my money and eventually I'll take a trip," he said.  

Willie also said he previously won $2,800 playing Rolldown before the multistate game closed in April 2002.