unilad homepage
  • News
    • UK News
    • US News
    • World News
    • Crime
    • Health
    • Money
    • Sport
    • Travel
  • Film and TV
    • Netflix
  • Music
  • Tech
  • Features
  • Celebrity
  • Politics
  • Advertise
  • Terms
  • Privacy & Cookies
  • LADbible Group
  • LADbible
  • SPORTbible
  • GAMINGbible
  • Tyla
  • UNILAD Tech
  • FOODbible
  • License Our Content
  • About Us & Contact
  • Jobs
  • Latest
  • Archive
  • Topics A-Z
  • Authors
Facebook
Instagram
X
Threads
TikTok
YouTube
Submit Your Content
People who mistakenly won lottery allowed to keep the money

Home> News> Money

Published 12:06 30 Nov 2023 GMT

People who mistakenly won lottery allowed to keep the money

Are you one of the lucky Iowa ticket holders?

Poppy Bilderbeck

Poppy Bilderbeck

google discoverFollow us on Google Discover
Featured Image Credit: GIORGIO VIERA/AFP via Getty Images

Topics: Money, US News, Good News, News

Poppy Bilderbeck
Poppy Bilderbeck

Poppy Bilderbeck is a freelance journalist with words in Daily Express, Cosmopolitan UK, LADbible, UNILAD and Tyla. She is a former Senior Journalist at LADbible Group. She graduated from The University of Manchester in 2021 with a First in English Literature and Drama, where alongside her studies she was Editor-in-Chief of The Tab Manchester. Poppy is most comfortable when chatting about all things mental health, is proving a drama degree is far from useless by watching and reviewing as many TV shows and films as possible.

Advert

Advert

Advert

Powerball lottery ticket holders in Iowa have won prizes despite not having the winning numbers.

On Monday night (27 November), Iowa Powerball officials drew the lottery.

Numbers were later posted to Iowa Lottery's website at around 12:30am the next day.

Advert

The numbers remained on site until 7:15am when officials realised the numbers were actually wrong - not matching the ones drawn the previous night.

Officials have blamed the incident on a 'human reporting error' and have since updated the winning numbers to match those drawn.

But what about any ticket buyers who got up at the crack of dawn, checked their numbers online and believed they'd won the lottery?

The cashing and checking of tickets was temporarily suspended.
X

Well, the total jackpot was an estimated whopping $355 million, but the incorrect numbers posted to the Iowa Powerball's website would've resulted in prizes from $4 to $200.

And as a result of the 'human error,' officials decided to allow anyone who got up early and thought their numbers matched to still receive the money - despite them not being the actual numbers from the official draw.

The real question is, how many lucky ticket buyers can still get their hands on some cash?

Did you buy a Powerball ticket in Iowa for Monday?
Getty Images/ MLADEN ANTONOV/ AFP

It's not known how many ticket holders have won as a result of the incorrect numbers posted online.

However, according to CBS, 3,998 people in Iowa who bought Powerball tickets with the correct numbers have also won prizes.

If you're currently sat here confused, with a ticket in your hand, then the winning Powerball numbers from Monday night's draw are: 2-21-38-61-66 and the Powerball number is 12.

Iowa Powerball Lottery's rules read: "Pick five numbers from one to 69. Pick a separate Powerball number from one to 26. The more numbers you match in a drawing, the more you win. If you match all six winning numbers, you win the jackpot!"

It's not the first time someone has mistakenly won the lottery.
Pexels/ Vlad Chețan

It's not the first time a lottery mistakes has occurred and a lucky ticket holder has lived to reap the rewards either.

A 60-year-old man named Michael Sopejstal asked a retailer at a GoLo gas station for a ticket for 10 draws, but they 'accidentally printed a ticket with 10 lines for one draw'.

Sopejstal said he still wanted it and lo and behold, he checked his ticket to find he had won $25,000 a year for life.

Sopejstal could've claimed $25,000 a year for the rest of his life, but the Illinois man instead decided to accept a one-time lump sum payment of $390,000.

Choose your content:

an hour ago
2 hours ago
  • Instagram/@maraflavia
    an hour ago

    Brazilian fitness influencer Mara Flávia dies aged 38 from drowning during Ironman competition in Texas

    Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office in Texas confirmed the news of the death on social media

    News
  • Win McNamee/Getty Images
    an hour ago

    FBI Director Kash Patel files $250 million defamation lawsuit over drinking claims

    Allegations that Kash Patel has 'bouts of excessive drinking' has led the FBI director to file a massive lawsuit

    News
  • Warner Bros.
    2 hours ago

    Daniel Radcliffe ranks his Harry Potter films and reveals surprising pick for his least favorite

    Daniel Radcliffe has revealed what his favorite movie in the Harry Potter franchise is

    Film & TV
  • Joshua Applegate/WireImage
    2 hours ago

    Singer D4vd officially charged with murder of teen girl found dismembered in his car

    The singer has been accused of murdering Celeste Rivas Hernandez

    Celebrity
  • Man who won lottery 14 times explains simple math he used to beat the system
  • Lottery winner who won $65,000,000 has made one crucial mistake that could cost them entire fortune
  • Man who won $167,000,000 jackpot gets arrested days later in shocking turn of events
  • Doctor who left patient unconscious mid-surgery to have sex with a nurse allowed to keep practicing