Binned Lotto Ticket Finally Lands Mum A R290 Million Jackpot
[Image: Newsdesk]
Kath Main had the kind of month that would make any Lotto player develop a nervous twitch: her winning ticket was reportedly checked, declared useless, and then thrown in the bin before the £12 million (about R290 million) jackpot could be paid out.
According to the Mirror, the 46-year-old mum-of-two from south Wales realised the 6 June Lotto jackpot was still unclaimed and recognised the numbers immediately: 10, 26, 30, 35 and 42.
She had apparently played that same combination for more than 20 years, which is either admirable discipline or a very long argument with probability.
Main had taken the ticket to a Londis store in Abercynon to be verified after the draw, but was reportedly told it had not won anything. The ticket was then allegedly thrown away.
Allwyn, the National Lottery operator, investigated after an appeal was lodged. More than a month later, it confirmed the pay-out. A spokesperson told the Mirror: “We are the only major lottery which is able to look to pay a winner even if they have lost their ticket.”
The operator said its investigation was designed to make sure the claim came from the rightful ticket-holder, and that it can pay at its discretion once the 180-day claim period has expired.
Main had spoken last month, while the wait was still chewing through her, and it sounded exactly as awful as you would expect.
“I just feel sick all the time, it’s the not knowing and waiting,” she said. “I saw there was an unclaimed lottery ticket and checked the numbers and realised they were mine.”
She said she had rung her mother to check the ticket had actually been bought, only to be told it had already been checked and no winner had been found. When she asked where the ticket was, she was told it had been binned. The Londis shop, the Mirror reports, did not have CCTV because it was being refurbished.
Shop proprietor Karan Kumar told the paper: “The machine could have been playing up. Now they are doing an investigation. It would be amazing if she won.”
Well. Amazing has arrived, carrying a very large cheque and one of the more stressful customer-service sagas in recent lottery memory.
Main, who serves as a rugby club treasurer, has reportedly said one ambition is to travel to New Zealand for the Lions rugby tour in 2029. After a month spent wondering whether £12 million had gone out with the rubbish, she has probably earned the aisle seat.
[Source: Mirror]
This content is sourced from www.2oceansvibe.com and is shared for informational purposes only.
