Kentucky woman scoops $1m after Mega Millions mistake
Tuesday January 11th 2011A Mega Millions player won $1million as a result of a shop clerk’s error.
Pamela Ivey, of Georgetown, Kentucky, went to her local store to buy lotto tickets for the $380million draw on January 4. But instead of spending the $5 she planned to, the assistant added the Megaplier feature to her numbers, doubling the cost of the ticket.
The mistake ensured that when five numbers on Mrs Ivey’s ticket came up, her second prize of $250,000 was immediately bumped up to a cool $1million.
“I dropped to my knees and praised God,” the 42-year-old told lottery officials. “This was perfect timing.”
In a bizarre coincidence, the store where Mrs Ivey bought her ticket is across the street from where another big lottery winner, Rob Anderson, went to buy lotto tickets in December 2009. The assistant in that store also made a mistake, giving Mr Anderson one $3 ticket, rather than the three $1 tickets he’d asked for. The mistake saw him win a $128million jackpot and become Kentucky’s biggest ever lottery winner.