500K Winning Lotto Ticket Left On Iowa Store Counter

Every now and then, we talk about lottery prizes that go unclaimed, and it always makes me worry that I might be the person who bought the winning ticket. I'm not a frequent lottery ticket buyer, but when I do get one, I tend to casually throw it in my car and often forget to check the numbers later. It turns out I'm not alone in being careless with my tickets.

Read the story of the Iowa man who hit a big jackpot only to inadvertently leave the winning ticket behind on the store counter below.

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Iowa Pastor Wins Major Jackpot

Kevin Frey, a Pastor from New Hampton, Iowa, admitted that he was "shaking pretty good"  when he realized he had won $500,000.

Frey was overjoyed and immediately rushed to his car to share the exciting news with his wife and others. However, what should have been a moment of pure joy almost turned into a nightmare. In the midst of calling his loved ones from the parking lot, Frey suddenly realized he had forgotten the ticket inside the Casey’s store.

Panicking, he rushed back in and asked the employee for the ticket. They managed to retrieve the winning ticket, and the story had a happy ending.

Frey explained that chaotic moment to Iowa Lottery officials, "And then I realized, ‘I don’t have it! It’s in the store! Fortunately, I was still in the parking lot of the Casey’s store, and I ran back inside and asked the employee for the ticket. She was so flustered, she forgot to give it to me the first time. So, we finally got it on the right page.”

The Pastor says he and his wife will use the money to move to the Des Moines area so they can be closer to family when they retire.