SANDUSKY, Ohio — One lucky woman in Sandusky has claimed a prize worth $15 million from winning a scratch-off ticket in the Ohio Lottery's 50th Anniversary game.
The winner, identified only as Jeanne, says she was speechless and fell to the floor when she found out she had the winning ticket.
“I scratched it off and none of the numbers matched because I don’t scratch all the numbers. I scratched like maybe 10 or 12 and I usually know if it’s a winner or not. So, nothing matched, and I scanned it and it said, ‘Winner, see clerk.’”
While thinking something may be wrong with the ticket, the clerk quickly told her that she had not only won but that she had won a lot.
“We both just cried. There were people in line looking at me like I lost my mind,” said Jeanne.
The winning ticket was purchased at Friendship #83, located at 4024 Hayes Ave. in Sandusky.
According to the Ohio Lottery, Jeanne won $600,000 a year for 25 years. She took the cash option of $7.5 million. After state and federal taxes totaling 28%, she will take home $5.4 million.
She also recently won the grand prize for the Ohio Lottery's Fun Turns 50 Second Chance Promotion during the first promotion's drawing on Feb. 28.
"My dad always told me, ‘If it wasn’t for bad luck Jeanne, you’d have no luck at all,'" said Jeanne. "And it’s true. The number that the winning was on was my father’s, the year he was born, the 28th. That meant a lot to me. He’s been gone quite a while, but I guess he was up there having the last laugh.”
With the money, Jeanne says she plans to pay off the mortgage of her best friend, whom she's stayed with for the past two years, and buy a house in Florida.
50th Anniversary is a $50 scratch-off with a top prize of $600,000 a year for 25 years.
