News story saves million-dollar ticket from the garbage
By Kate Northrop
TAYLOR, Mo. — A Missouri man saved his million-dollar winning lottery ticket from the trash after reading about a $1 million Powerball ticket in the news.
A news story jogged the memory of one Missouri man who nearly threw out a $1 million winning Powerball lottery ticket.
The Missouri lottery player, who chose to remain anonymous, had entirely forgotten about the Powerball ticket he purchased at FastLane on Highway 6 in Taylor for the Oct. 26 drawing. Just before tossing it in the trash, he saw a news headline that gave him pause.
"I was actually about to throw it away!" he told the Missouri Lottery. "And then I thought, 'Maybe I should check this one.'"
Thankfully, he checked the Quick Pick, which had matched all five white ball numbers drawn on Oct. 26: 8, 12, 40, 45, and 51. The red Powerball number was 15.
He rushed to tell his wife, who could not believe what he was saying.
"I was in shock," she said to Lottery officials. "I actually thought he was joking!"
It's no wonder she doubted it at first — the odds of winning the $1 million Powerball prize are slim at 1 in 11,688,054. If he had matched the Powerball number, he would have won that night's $20 million jackpot.
The next Powerball annuity jackpot estimate for the drawing on Wednesday, Nov. 13 currently stands at $113 million.
Powerball is played in 45 states, plus the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands. Drawings are Mondays, Wednesdays, and Saturdays at 10:59 p.m. Eastern Time. Tickets cost $2 each.
Powerball lottery results are published within minutes of the drawing at USA Mega (www.usamega.com). The USA Mega website provides lottery players in-depth information about the United States's two biggest multi-state lottery games, Mega Millions and Powerball.
"I was actually about to throw it away!" he told the Missouri Lottery. "And then I thought, 'Maybe I should check this one.'"
However hard I try, for the life of me, I never understand people that don't check their lottery tickets. I just don't.
If I spend $2 and I win $2 am glad I broke even and will use that $2 to buy the next ticket.
I think we have people out there that don't care about the $2 win, they are all in for the jackpot and the jackpot alone.
Well, good for them.
Glad he checked, congrats lucky man.
I did that threw a ticket in the trash took it out brought the ticket lottery place to get scan NOTHING Again
Sounds like a higher power knew he intended to throw his ticket away, so they alerted him about a winning ticket in a news story.
If it's for you, you'll get it, somehow some way.