Man buys ‘first and only’ Idaho lottery ticket during snack run. It pays off big time

When Anthony Schmierer went to buy snacks at a local convenience store, he spotted a crossword lottery ticket.

In the four years he had lived in Idaho, he never once bought a lottery ticket. His quick decision paid off big time, the Idaho Lottery said Wednesday, Nov. 23.

The Bayview man scratched off the ticket and couldn’t believe what he was seeing.

“I thought I must’ve just not understood Idaho Scratch Games, so I waited for my kids to get home,” Schmierer told the Idaho Lottery. “They would be honest with me on whether I was going crazy or not!”

His children confirmed that he wasn’t crazy and actually won $50,000. Schmierer and his son Westley drove seven hours and over 400 miles to Boise to claim his win.

“Besides getting a hotel and some good food tonight with Westley, I’m going to pay off bills,” he said. “If there’s enough left over, I really hope I can get a vehicle that has four-wheel drive and no dents from deer!”

This story was originally published November 24, 2022 at 10:46 AM with the headline "Man buys ‘first and only’ Idaho lottery ticket during snack run. It pays off big time."