Lottery player thinks he won $50K. Then he learns Missouri ticket is worth a lot more
A Missouri man who didn’t expect to win anything but loyalty program points was shocked when he thought he won $50,000 — then stunned again when he learned he’d really won $2 million.
The man told Missouri Lottery officials he bought a $20 Diamonds and Gold scratch-off ticket at a St. Louis supermarket. As a member of the state’s lottery rewards program, he usually spends points from tickets on prizes.
This time, things panned out differently, according to a Jan. 16 news release from the Missouri Lottery.
“I was looking at it, and I thought it was $50,000 at first,” he told lottery officials. “I showed it to my wife and she said that I needed to take it up to get it checked.”
The cashier told him his prize was worth much more. The $2 million prize he won is one of only two top prizes in the Diamonds & Gold lottery game, which launched Dec. 30.
“I didn’t believe it! I still didn’t believe it!” he said when claiming his big win.
This story was originally published January 17, 2025 at 12:00 AM with the headline "Lottery player thinks he won $50K. Then he learns Missouri ticket is worth a lot more."
