When lottery players scan their tickets, if the screen flashes to signify a big win some of them may hoot and holler, or jump for joy. One or two may even go weak at the knees, but one New York Mega Millions winner simply looked at the cashier and told her the machine was broken.
This strange turn or events happened earlier this week at the JackSpot Convenience store in Shirley, New York, and the disbelieving winner was holding onto a Mega Millions ticket the New York Lottery had been searching for since the March 25, drawing.
Cashier Laura Marckesano ran the ticket through the machine for a second time and tried to tell the mystified man he'd won a big prize, but he still failed to grasp the situation.
"He's not catching what I'm saying," Marckesano said. "So I smacked his shoulder—'You won $20 million dollars!' That kind of woke him up."
New York Lottery representative Christy Calicchia said the man claimed his prize on Wednesday, but the lottery will not be releasing his name until an upcoming news conference.
JackSpot convenience store owner Howie Frank was a little more helpful, stating the winner was a 48-year-old hospital orderly who did not intend to go public before he'd had chance to take legal and financial advice.
"He said he likes his job and he's going to keep his job—we'll see," Frank said.
