Casey’s worker buys first Iowa lottery ticket 2 days after 21st birthday and wins big

Before starting her work shift, an assistant manager of a Casey’s convenience store decided to buy her first Iowa lottery ticket.

Destiny Lawson had celebrated her 21st birthday just two days before, making her old enough to claim prizes without a parent or guardian.

While Lawson, of Pella, originally thought her first lottery attempt was a loss, she decided to scan her “$250,000 Extreme Cash” scratch ticket with the Iowa Lottery app just in case, according to a Jan. 11 news release.

“It said that I had won $250,000 and I thought the app was lying to me,” she told lottery officials. “So I checked it on the lottery (self-checker) at Casey’s, and sure enough, it was not lying to me.”

She could hardly believe her big win.

“I’m amazed right now, like in shock,” Lawson said when claiming her prize. “It definitely has not sunk in yet. I still think I’m dreaming right now.”

Others have had a hard time believing her, too.

“I’ve only told like 10 people, maybe, and they’re all like, ‘You’re lying!’” she said in the release. “I’ve had to send them all the picture and I’m like, ‘No, I’m not!’”

After taxes, Lawson took home $177,500.

“Normally I consider myself not lucky,” she told lottery officials. “But today, I’m definitely lucky.”

The 21-year-old woman said she plans to use some of her newfound cash for a vacation in Europe, a new car and her monthly rent bill. She plans to share some of her winnings with her brother, too.

The Casey’s in Pella is about 40 miles southeast of Des Moines.

This story was originally published January 13, 2023 at 1:06 PM with the headline "Casey’s worker buys first Iowa lottery ticket 2 days after 21st birthday and wins big."