She forgot buying Rhode Island lottery ticket after getting COVID. Remembering paid off
A woman bought a Rhode Island lottery ticket in 2021 before visiting family overseas where she got stuck after testing positive for COVID-19 and completely forgot about it until recently.
Her remembering has made her $2 million richer.
The Maryland woman discovered her previously purchased winning Mega Millions Megaplier ticket while digging through her purse a few weeks ago, Rhode Island Lottery said in a Feb. 3 news release. The woman was not identified by lottery officials.
She would’ve won a million less but decided to pay an extra $1 for an additional feature that doubled her earnings.
“After withholding 24% in federal taxes and 5.99% in state taxes, the winner received $1,400,200,” a lottery spokesperson told McClatchy News.
In August 2021, the woman visited family in Rhode Island where she bought the ticket at a local gas station. Then, she took a flight to the Philippines to see more family but stayed longer than expected since she got COVID-19, the release said.
When she eventually flew back home, her purchase slipped her mind until she found it in her purse and discovered she matched all five numbers.
“She plans on sharing some of the winnings with family,” according to the Rhode Island lottery.
There’s another Mega Millions Megaplier ticket that’s unclaimed in the state worth $3 million that was purchased on Jan. 25, the news release said.
This story was originally published February 3, 2022 at 7:05 PM with the headline "She forgot buying Rhode Island lottery ticket after getting COVID. Remembering paid off."
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