Odd News

Oregon man wins $6.3 million from free lottery ticket

By Ben Hooper   |   March 31, 2020 at 4:35 PM
An Oregon man won $6.3 million from a lottery ticket he received as a free prize -- and nearly left behind at the store. File Photo by John Angelillo/UPI

March 31 (UPI) -- An Oregon man's $6.3 million lottery jackpot was made all the more lucky by the fact that his ticket was free -- and he almost left it at the store.

Robert McCauley of Mount Vernon told Oregon Lottery officials he took his Megabucks ticket to the Blue Mountain Mini Mart, where manager Jolene Moulton told him he had won a free ticket.

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"I checked Bob's ticket and actually gave him the voucher slip that came with his free ticket," Moulton said. "As he was walking away, I saw the free play ticket sitting on the counter and realized Bob had the wrong ticket. I called him back to the window gave him the free ticket."

Moulton said she had only sold three tickets for the March 23 Megabucks drawing, so when she found out she had sold the $6.3 million winner, she sent a mutual friend to McCauley's house to tell him to check his ticket.

McCauley said his daughter, Pam, checked the numbers online and confirmed he had the big winner.

"Pam was screaming and jumping up and down," McCauley said. "I was cool as a cucumber."

McCauley said his plans for his winnings include buying a new refrigerator for his wife and buying a new truck for himself.