Couple thought they won $500 in SC lottery – until checking the ticket again
A couple in South Carolina were basking in a lottery win — until a closer inspection gave them even more reason to celebrate.
The girlfriend was sitting on the couch scratching through a $3 crossword-style lottery ticket her boyfriend had bought her when she told him some good news, according to a news release from the South Carolina Education Lottery.
“We got seven words and won $500,” she told her boyfriend.
But less than an hour later, the woman counted the winning words again.
This time, she tallied 11 words – actually bringing her winnings to $100,000.
“We were happy as heck when we won $500,” the boyfriend said, according to the news release. “And when it turned into $100,000 we got a whole lot happier.”
The release says the couple took a day off from work to cash in their ticket. While they haven’t decided what they will do with the money, they told lottery officials they will “spend it wisely.”
The odds of winning the top prize of the Lady Jumbo Bucks Crossword game are 1-in-600,000, according to the South Carolina Education Lottery.
Scotchman #3814 in Fountain Inn received a commission of $1,000 for selling the winning ticket, officials said.
It’s not the first time a lottery player has mistook the amount of money they won.
Earlier this month, a North Carolina man thought he won $1,000 in the Big Cash Payout game. But after a closer look, he realized he won the top prize – $1 million.
In 2020, another North Carolina player was convinced he won a smaller amount but wasn’t done scratching his ticket, McClatchy News reported.
If you or a loved one shows signs of gambling addiction, you can seek help by calling the national gambling hotline at 1-800-522-4700 or visiting the National Council on Problem Gambling website.
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