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Lottery player was ‘shaking’ after scanning his ticket. ‘My wife thought I was joking’

“I couldn’t believe it. I started shaking,” the Ohio winner told lottery officials.
“I couldn’t believe it. I started shaking,” the Ohio winner told lottery officials. Getty Images/iStockphoto

An Ohio lottery player said he “started shaking” after he scanned his scratch-off ticket.

The Findlay man said he and his wife stopped at a gas station to buy some lottery tickets, one of which was a $5 “Cash Explosion 25X” scratch-off, according to an Oct. 11 news release from the Ohio Lottery.

After scratching the ticket, he scanned it with his phone app and got a message saying the ticket was invalid, according to lottery officials.

He went back inside the store to have his ticket checked and learned he’d won $50,000, according to the release.

“I couldn’t believe it. I started shaking,” the man told lottery officials. “My wife thought I was joking with her.”

After mandatory state and federal taxes, the man will take home about $36,000, lottery officials said.

The winner said he plans to use prize to pay bills and “have a little fun with the rest,” per the release.

The winning ticket was purchased at Gas & Express Mart in Findlay. The “Cash Explosion 25X” game has a jackpot of $150,000, according to the Ohio Lottery.

Findlay is about a 95-mile drive northwest from Columbus.

Many people can gamble or play games of chance without harm. However, for some, gambling is an addiction that can ruin lives and families.

If you or a loved one shows signs of gambling addiction, you can seek help by calling the national gambling hotline at 1-800-522-4700 or visiting the National Council on Problem Gambling website.

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This story was originally published October 11, 2024 at 5:50 PM with the headline "Lottery player was ‘shaking’ after scanning his ticket. ‘My wife thought I was joking’."

Lauren Liebhaber
mcclatchy-newsroom
Lauren Liebhaber covers international science news with a focus on taxonomy and archaeology at McClatchy. She holds a bachelor’s degree from St. Lawrence University and a master’s degree from the Newhouse School at Syracuse University. Previously, she worked as a data journalist at Stacker.
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