An Ohio man scored a life‑changing $500,000 scratch‑off win, buying the ticket on his way home from taking his wife to a series of cancer treatment appointments.
The unidentified Carrollton man told the Ohio Lottery that he decided to try his luck by buying several $5 scratch-off tickets, including the last remaining “Best of 7s” ticket he spotted in a bin at BellStores #146 in Malvern.
“I still can’t believe it,” he said in the lottery’s statement. “I still think it’s a dream.”
When he got home and realized he’d won the $500,000 top prize, taking home about $360,000 after taxes, he excitedly told his wife, who didn’t believe him at first.
“She looked at me funny and said, ‘Did you fall?’ I said, ‘No, I’m in shock! I think I won half a million dollars!’” he said.
His wife only believed the win was real after he scanned the ticket using the Ohio Lottery app and showed her the proof.
The man credited his win to his personal scratch-off strategy, explaining, “I like the end of the roll, I’ll buy in the middle too, but always liked the end of the roll best.”
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The man called the prize a blessing, saying it would help cover his wife’s cancer-related medical bills. He hopes to plan something special for them to enjoy once she recovers.
The Ohio man’s win comes as the Powerball jackpot has reached $1.3 billion after no winners in Monday’s drawing. The next drawing is on Wednesday at 11 p.m. EST. making it the fifth-largest jackpot in Powerball history.