Lottery entrants expecting $1,000 win shocked to discover $1mn windfall

An Indiana couple who thought they’d won $1,000 were stunned at lottery headquarters when they found out they actually scooped $1 million.

Cindy Ooley had already accepted the check and was being interviewed about her winnings when her husband Steve noticed that there were a lot more zeros than the couple was expecting.

“That’s not $1,000,” he said, officials from Hoosier Lottery then had to explain to the flabbergasted couple that they had won a thousand times more money they were expecting.

“A look of shock entered the couple’s eyes, then realization,” the lottery said, recounting the scene.

“Cindy and Steve immediately called the bank. This wasn’t the small transaction the couple originally expected.”

Even more outrageously, the windfall nearly passed the couple by completely. They actually won the draw back in September, but only noticed in January when Cindy was clearing out a desk drawer.

Luckily she checked the ticket instead of tossing it in the trash and when she noticed that they had won, what she thought was, a small prize the couple drove to Indianapolis to collect their winnings. Neither of them realized the true prize until Steve spotted all the extra figures on the large ceremonial check.

The Ooley’s had been playing the powerball lottery for years often dreaming about what they would do if they won a big jackpot. However the couple say their lives aren’t going to change much. “We’re not going to have to watch things quite as closely,” Cindy said.

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