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Man’s Friday morning routine leads to Missouri Lottery jackpot. ‘I didn’t believe it’

A St. Charles man won $480,000 playing the Missouri Lottery’s Show Me Cash game.
A St. Charles man won $480,000 playing the Missouri Lottery’s Show Me Cash game. Mackenzie Marco via Unsplash

A man who treats himself to a lottery ticket on Friday mornings saw his routine pay off in a big way.

“It’s an every Friday thing,” the lottery player from St. Charles, Missouri, told lottery officials in a news release. “I drop my kid off at school, then get a soda and a lottery ticket at the station.”

The player’s jackpot win came from a Show Me Cash ticket he purchased on Feb. 24 at a Moto Mart in St. Charles.

That night, he learned his ticket matched the winning numbers — 4, 11, 17, 37 and 38 — resulting in the $480,000 win.

“At first, I didn’t believe it,” he told Missouri Lottery officials. “It was very exciting. The kids were going crazy!”

The man, who remained anonymous, said his win “just doesn’t seem real.” He plans to use the money for a new motorcycle and to take his family on vacation, according to lottery officials.

The Show Me Cash game is $1 per play. The jackpot starts at $50,000 and grows each day until someone wins.

Missouri Lottery officials said there is a 1-in-575,757 chance of matching all five numbers.

St. Charles is about 25 miles northwest of St. Louis.

BEHIND THE STORY

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When gambling is more than a game

Gambling is designed to be a source of entertainment.

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 March 8, 2023 at 5:43 AM with the headline "Man’s Friday morning routine leads to Missouri Lottery jackpot. ‘I didn’t believe it’."

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Mike Stunson
Lexington Herald-Leader
Mike Stunson covers real-time news for McClatchy. He is a 2011 Western Kentucky University graduate who has previously worked at the Paducah Sun and Madisonville Messenger as a sports reporter and the Lexington Herald-Leader as a breaking news reporter. 
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