Clerk mistake turns into 15$8 jackpot win for Ohio lottery player
Painesville, OH — A routine lottery stop at a neighborhood convenience store turned into a six-figure surprise after a clerk’s ticket mix-up led a Lake County man to claim a $158,585 jackpot.
The man visited Chestnut Food Mart on Chestnut Street on March 14 intending to purchase five $1 EZPLAY Quick Spot tickets and one $5 ticket. Instead, the clerk mistakenly handed him a single $10 Quick Spot ticket. He chose to keep it, placing it in his pocket without checking it immediately.
Later that evening while out to dinner, he played the ticket and discovered all ten numbers matched. At first, neither he nor his wife believed the result, even after the ticket displayed a winning message.
Because the ticket was a $10 Quick Spot, the win qualified for 100 percent of the progressive jackpot, totaling $158,585. Ohio Lottery officials noted that had he received the intended tickets, the payout would have been limited to a smaller percentage of the jackpot.
After required state and federal tax withholdings totaling 26.75 percent, the winner will receive $116,163.51.
The winner stated he plans to use the money to pay bills, invest, and provide gifts to his grandsons.
Ohio Lottery officials said the prize marks the largest EZPLAY Quick Spot payout recorded so far this year. The game’s progressive jackpots begin at $10,000, with overall odds of winning listed at 1 in 4.72.
Since 1974, the Ohio Lottery has contributed more than $34 billion to education programs across the state.
Key Points
- Clerk error led to purchase of $10 ticket instead of smaller denominations
- Ticket hit full jackpot worth $158,585 in EZPLAY Quick Spot game
- Winner plans to pay bills, invest, and give money to family
