Mass. man keeps mistake lottery ticket, wins $1 million

Aug 20, 2012, 5:12 am (18 comments)

Massachusetts Lottery

A Taunton, Massachusetts, man was on the right side of a million dollar mistake, when a scratch ticket game he didn't want to play turned out to be a winner.

Richard Brown, 60, came in to the Gulf in Taunton last Monday, as he had several times in the past, looking for a $5 Blue Ice 7s ticket. This time, the distracted clerk gave him a Sizzling Sevens scratcher, another $5 game, by mistake, said lottery spokeswoman Beth Bresnahan.

Instead of demanding the right ticket, Brown decided he was "going to roll with it," said Bresnahan. Sticking with the ticket paid off, as Brown scratched off the $1 million grand prize.

Lottery officials said Brown, a chef in Medway and a grandfather, opted for an immediate one-time payment of $650,000 before taxes. He will use the money to fix his roof, as well as take a trip to San Francisco, said Bresnahan. Brown declined to comment.

Bresnahan said there is a good amount of superstition among people who play the lottery, in terms of people choosing the same numbers or going to the same stores to buy their tickets.

She said if Brown is one of those people, "he would think that the ticket would be meant for him. To refuse that ticket would be a streak of bad luck."

The odds of winning the million dollar top prize were one in 4.2 million, according to the Massachusetts State Lottery Commission.

Boston Herald, Lottery Post Staff

Comments

LottoGuyBC's avatarLottoGuyBC

Congrats  Cheers

mcginnin56

 I live within minutes of MA, and buy tickets there weekly. I was reading this story a few days back on the Mass lottery website.

I think these "mistakes" happen very frequently based on nothing else but the sheer number of daily transactions that occur.

 

There is an old saying that "Money Won Is Twice As Sweet As Money Earned". I think the "Mistake Money" is in it's own special category.

zinniagirl's avatarzinniagirl

Good for him!   May he use it to enjoy life.

rdgrnr's avatarrdgrnr

Always take the mistakes.

You never know when, where or how your good luck will materialize.

maringoman's avatarmaringoman

I buy the mistakes and always lose. I can't help but wonder whether the tickets I'd originally intended to buy were the winners.

We shall never know shall we Jester

mcginnin56

Quote: Originally posted by maringoman on Aug 20, 2012

I buy the mistakes and always lose. I can't help but wonder whether the tickets I'd originally intended to buy were the winners.

We shall never know shall we Jester

Maybe next time try buying both the mistake ticket, as well as the intended ticket.    Wink

rdgrnr's avatarrdgrnr

Quote: Originally posted by maringoman on Aug 20, 2012

I buy the mistakes and always lose. I can't help but wonder whether the tickets I'd originally intended to buy were the winners.

We shall never know shall we Jester

If the ticket's a mistake, it's the ticket you must take.

Chant it like a mantra.

Become one with it.

Learn to play the sitar.

tvboris's avatartvboris

Quote: Originally posted by mcginnin56 on Aug 20, 2012

Maybe next time try buying both the mistake ticket, as well as the intended ticket.    Wink

LOL, and to tripple the luck, ask the guy who is after you, and buy his ticket as well.

mcginnin56

Quote: Originally posted by tvboris on Aug 21, 2012

LOL, and to tripple the luck, ask the guy who is after you, and buy his ticket as well.

Touche!  Cheers

 

dognabit

A $5 ticket with a grand prize of a million???Crazy

 

$5 tickets here are usually about $50k top prize.

mcginnin56

Quote: Originally posted by dognabit on Aug 21, 2012

A $5 ticket with a grand prize of a million???Crazy

 

$5 tickets here are usually about $50k top prize.

Gotta move to one of the high population density states to get those payoffs. MA, CA, TX or NY.  Group Hug

dallascowboyfan's avatardallascowboyfan

Thumbs Up

Congrats to the winner....

dallascowboyfan's avatardallascowboyfan

Quote: Originally posted by dognabit on Aug 21, 2012

A $5 ticket with a grand prize of a million???Crazy

 

$5 tickets here are usually about $50k top prize.

I know how you feel dog, OK scratchers suck BIG time. Our largest prize is $40,000-$50,000 for $5 I usually play scratchers when we go to Texas...

mcginnin56

Quote: Originally posted by tvboris on Aug 21, 2012

LOL, and to tripple the luck, ask the guy who is after you, and buy his ticket as well.

This could be the beginning of a new trend with very happy endings!  Idea

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