Two slices and a lot of cash: Pizza craving nets big win for Missouri lottery player
A Missouri man is richer after stopping at a local general store to satiate his pizza craving and winning big on his last minute scratch-off purchase, according to lottery officials.
“That day, I was hungry for pizza and went to the Casey’s in Bolivar and got a couple slices of pizza. Then I saw the ‘500X’ ticket and thought, ‘Well, alright, I’ll buy one,’” the anonymous winner told the Missouri Lottery Commission in a Nov. 29 news release.
“The very first thing I scratched off was that 500X symbol,” he said.
“I scratched off a $100 prize underneath,” he continued, “and I was so excited I couldn’t figure out how much money that actually was!”
He learned that meant he won $50,000, before taxes.
Each “500X” ticket is sold for $50, according to lottery officials.
As of Nov. 29, there remained over $190 million in unclaimed prizes for the game, officials say, “including two $5 million top prizes, three $1 million second prizes and 37 additional $50,000 prizes.”
Players in Polk County, where Bolivar is located, won more than $4.5 million in Missouri Lottery prizes in fiscal 2023,, according to lottery officials.
Bolivar, where the winning ticket was purchased, is about 140 miles southeast of Kansas City.
This story was originally published November 30, 2023 at 5:35 PM with the headline "Two slices and a lot of cash: Pizza craving nets big win for Missouri lottery player."
