12 incredible lottery wins that almost didn’t happen
These articles show how lottery wins can depend on chance, small decisions, and persistence. Many stories describe winners who almost missed out or had no idea of their true prize until double checking.
One Maryland man used a small win to buy more scratch-offs. He scratched a ticket, thought he won $10,000, but then realized a symbol meant he actually won $100,000. A woman in Missouri picked her usual ticket, scratched to reveal the game’s jackpot, and needed to pinch herself after realizing she won $100,000. In another case, coworkers in Maryland pooled money for a big Powerball drawing and thought news of their $50,000 win was a prank. Meanwhile, a Missouri man stopped for a ticket only because a traffic detour changed his route, then discovered he hit a $2 million jackpot.
Each scenario highlights how ordinary actions or routines led to unexpected wins, and how winners often needed time or help to believe their luck was real.
NO. 1: COWORKERS THINK THEY’RE BEING PRANKED AFTER LOTTERY WIN IN MARYLAND. IT WAS REAL
The winners all have different plans for their portion of the money. | Published April 16, 2024 | Read Full Story by Paloma Chavez
NO. 2: LONGTIME LOTTERY PLAYER THOUGHT HE WON $10,000 IN MARYLAND. THE PRIZE WAS MUCH BIGGER
“I was happy and pleased.” | Published April 23, 2024 | Read Full Story by Paloma Chavez
NO. 3: LOTTERY PLAYER SCRATCHES TICKET — AND IS ‘FROZEN’ IN DISBELIEF AT BIG PRIZE IN MARYLAND
“You play to win but as long as I’ve been playing, I never thought I would win this much money or at all.” | Published May 3, 2024 | Read Full Story by Paloma Chavez
NO. 4: MEGA MILLIONS PLAYER WINS BIG IN CALIFORNIA. WHERE WAS THE LUCKY TICKET SOLD?
The winning ticket just missed the $522 million jackpot, lottery officials say. | Published June 2, 2024 | Read Full Story by Don Sweeney
NO. 5: WOMAN’S USUAL LOTTERY TICKET LEAVES HER IN SHOCK WITH HUGE WIN. ‘HAD TO PINCH MYSELF’
The Missouri woman said it took a few days for her win to sink in. | Published June 24, 2024 | Read Full Story by Jennifer Rodriguez
NO. 6: TRAFFIC DETOUR LEADS MISSOURI MAN TO STOP FOR LOTTERY TICKET — AND AN ‘UNBELIEVABLE’ WIN
“I never would have gone in there if that bridge wasn’t closed,” he said. | Published July 1, 2024 | Read Full Story by Jennifer Rodriguez
NO. 7: LOTTERY PLAYER’S FIRST TWO TICKETS WERE A BUST — BUT THE THIRD LEFT HER ‘SHAKING’
“I couldn’t accept that it was real,” the Maryland winner said. | Published July 11, 2024 | Read Full Story by Paloma Chavez
NO. 8: $390,000 LOTTERY PRIZE AMONG SEVERAL BIG WINS ACROSS NC. WHERE WERE THE TICKETS SOLD?
Here’s what to know about the state’s lucky weekend. | Published July 15, 2024 | Read Full Story by Simone Jasper
NO. 9: CHARLOTTE MAN BEATS 1 IN 15.5 MILLION ODDS TO WIN LIFE-CHANGING NC LOTTERY PRIZE
“I was screaming on the inside.” | Published July 25, 2024 | Read Full Story by Mark Price
NO. 10: TWO MEGA MILLIONS PLAYERS WIN $1 MILLION. WHERE WERE THE LUCKY TICKETS SOLD?
The tickets matched five winning numbers but not the Mega Ball, lottery officials say. | Published July 28, 2024 | Read Full Story by Don Sweeney
NO. 11: NEWLYWED COUPLE WINS BIG ON MARYLAND LOTTERY TICKET. ‘COULD NOT BELIEVE MY EYES’
The wife bought a lottery ticket after an ad on television caught her eye, lottery officials say. | Published February 21, 2025 | Read Full Story by Daniella Segura
NO. 12: TWO LOTTERY PLAYERS HIT $820,000 JACKPOT IN GEORGIA. WHERE WERE WINNING TICKETS SOLD?
It’s the latest in a string of big lottery wins for the Peach State. | Published March 21, 2025 | Read Full Story by Tanasia Kenney
The summary above was drafted with the help of AI tools and edited by journalists in our News division. All stories listed were reported, written and edited by McClatchy journalists.