A lucky punter has scooped a USD 580,000 lotto jackpot after a new shop cashier gave him a ticket for the wrong game by mistake.
The winner, from Upper Marlboro, in the US state of Maryland, had meant to buy a Cash4Life ticket when the cashier gave him a Multi-Match ticket instead.
He explained: “I was like, ‘Oh, a new guy.’ He was so apologetic.”
But the winner, not named by lottery officials, was astonished when his wrong ticket turned out to have won him a USD 580,000 (GBP 468,144) jackpot.
He said in a Maryland Lottery statement obtained by Newsflash: “On the way home from work that night, I stopped by the retailer and scanned it.
“I took a picture of the message to prove it was true.”
When collecting his prize at Maryland Lottery headquarters, he said: “This is the biggest prize of my life. I will sleep very well tonight.”
His healthcare worker wife added: “If anyone deserves it, it is him.
“He is a hard-working man, a good husband, and a good father.”
The couple said they plan to use the money to pay off a university loan for one of their children, pay some bills, and start a new family-run healthcare business for geriatric patients with the rest of the money.
Maryland Lottery officials said: “For its role in the lucky sale, Campus Way Exxon located at 10350 Campus Way South in Prince George’s County will receive a USD 1,000 [GBP 808] bonus from the Lottery.
“This is the sixth Multi-Match jackpot-winning ticket sold in 2023.”
