A lucky punter has scooped an amazing $250,000 on the lottery – after forgetting he had bought the winning ticket.
The 65-year-old winner – whose name has not been released – comes from Oakland County in the US state of Michigan.
He had bought some tickets while he was filling up with petrol but forgot all about them until he saw them later in his wallet.
He said: “I forgot I had purchased the tickets until I saw them in my wallet a few days later.
“When I checked the winning numbers on the Lottery app, I couldn’t believe what I was seeing.”
He went on: “I decided to get on my computer and check the numbers on the Lottery website to make sure there wasn’t a glitch on the app.
“When I confirmed the numbers a second time and saw that the winning ticket was purchased in Clawson, it finally sunk in that I won.”
In a statement on 9th May, Michigan Lottery said: “An Oakland County man had a hard time believing he won a $242,256 (GBP 196,785) Fantasy 5 jackpot from the Michigan Lottery.
“The lucky player, who chose to remain anonymous, matched the Fantasy 5 numbers in the April 30 drawing to win the big prize: 14-16-25-29-39.”
The man bought his winning ticket at a BP petrol station on West Maple Road in the city of Clawson.
The lucky winner said: “When I was cashing out at the gas station, I saw the Fantasy 5 jackpot was over USD 200,000, so I decided to purchase a few tickets.”
He added: “Winning is an excellent feeling!”
Michigan Lottery said: “The 65-year-old player recently visited Lottery headquarters to claim the big prize.
“With his winnings, he plans to start college funds for his grandchildren and then save the remainder for retirement.
“Each Fantasy 5 play is only $1. For an additional $1 per play, EZmatch may be added to a Fantasy 5 ticket, giving players a chance to win up to $500 instantly. For an additional $1 per play, Double Play may be added to a Fantasy 5 ticket, giving players a second chance to win up to $110,000 in the nightly Double Play drawing.
“Fantasy 5 players select five numbers from one to 39. Players who match all five Fantasy 5 numbers drawn win a jackpot that starts at $100,000. Fantasy 5 drawings are held seven days a week at 7:29 pm.”
