June 9, 2026

Man digs through dumpster to recover lottery ticket worth $100K

A winning scratch-off ticket accidentally ended up in the trash, forcing one Ohio player into an unexpected search mission

WILLARD, Ohio — A Willard man’s lottery celebration nearly ended before it began after he accidentally threw away a scratch-off ticket that turned out to be worth $100K, prompting a trip into a dumpster to get it back.

According to the Ohio Lottery, the player purchased a Bingo Times 25 Scratch-Off ticket and later realized he had mistakenly discarded it.

By the time he noticed the error, the trash had already been taken out.

The player then searched through a dumpster to recover the ticket.

The effort paid off.

Lottery officials confirmed the ticket was worth the game’s $100,000 top prize.

After required state and federal tax withholdings totaling 26.75%, the winner will receive $73,250.

The winning ticket was purchased at Circle K #5706, located at 418 Walton St. in Willard.

Bingo Times 25 is a $5 Ohio Lottery Scratch-Off game with top prizes of $100,000.

As of June 5, seven top prizes remained available in the game.

The Ohio Lottery said it has contributed more than $34B to education since 1974.


Key Points

  • An Ohio man accidentally threw away a lottery ticket worth $100K.
  • He recovered the winning ticket after searching through a dumpster.
  • The ticket was purchased at a Circle K in Willard.