LITTLE ROCK, Ark. – A Fort Smith man had 500,000 reasons to have a good day after picking up his lottery winnings in Little Rock on Wednesday.

Chris Folks of Fort Smith presented a winning $500,000 scratch-off lottery ticket to officials at the lottery claim center, resulting from a $20 ticket purchase, a lottery official said.

Folks told officials he had purchased the ticket in Fort Smith on Tuesday but did not believe he had won the half-million until it was verified at the claim center.

“I couldn’t believe it,” Folks said.

Folks, a family man, told lottery officials he planned to purchase a house with his winnings. He told officials that he is a regular scratch-off player and plays Natural State Jackpot and LOTTO because they are Arkansas-only games.