A lottery player stopped by a Swanton gas station Tuesday, paid $2 for a ticket, then added $1 for a chance to have a possible win quadrupled.
The ticket holder ended up winning $4 million, Ohio Lottery Commission announced Wednesday morning on Facebook.
The player used an auto-pick to match five of five numbers in the Mega Millions game with a 4X Megaplier — 29, 35, 59, 61, and 69.
The winning lottery ticket, so far unclaimed, was sold at the PS Food Mart and Sunoco station at 102 E. Airport Hwy., where customers lingered Wednesday afternoon as they reacted to the news of the win.
Some said they got the news from social media, others heard it from the clerk.
“There’s a 100-percent chance that if I buy a Mega Millions ticket, it’ll be here,” said Tyson James, 42, a graphic designer from Swanton, noting that he plays twice a month on certain days. He would play twice as often if it weren’t for the inflation, he said.
Shaun Sharp, 45, a garbage truck operator from Defiance, didn’t buy a Mega Millions ticket at the gas station either when he stopped by Wednesday. That’s because he did not have enough cash on him at the moment, he said.
“[But] congratulations to the winner,” Mr. Sharp said. “Hopefully they don’t go and spend more than they won.
“That’s usually what happens when people win big and think, ‘Oh, I have so much money to spend.’ But I would just get up [in the morning] and go to work — even if I win.”
Charles Everett, 26, a construction worker from Swanton, joined in the congratulations even though he doesn’t gamble.
“I feel happy for the winner,” Mr. Everett said, noting that he used to work at the gas station as an assistant manager. “But I don’t gamble. I just feel like I’d lose if I do play. I just don’t want to waste my money,” he said.
When reached on the phone Wednesday, Jennifer Harris, PS Food Mart area supervisor, said she is “excited” that the winning ticket was sold at a gas station owned by the corporation.
“We hope they enjoy their winning,” Ms. Harris said about the ticket holder. “And that’s all we have to say.”
The Ohio Lottery Commission did not have the name of the winner as of Wednesday afternoon, because the winning ticket had not been claimed yet, Ohio Lottery communications director Danielle Frizzi-Babb said.
“We are looking forward to meeting them and sharing their excitement,” Ms. Frizzi-Babb said. “Anytime someone wins big it generates a lot of excitement and it makes people think, ‘Hey, maybe I should buy a ticket. Maybe I’ll be next.’”
First Published November 15, 2023, 9:21am
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