National Lottery player bags HUGE prize after finding forgotten scratch card ‘buried at bottom of handbag’
A lucky Cork woman has scooped a €100,000 prize after discovering a forgotten lottery scratch card at the bottom of her handbag.
The fortunate player had purchased a €10 ‘Countdown to Christmas’ scratch card from Costcutter’s in Rathcormac, Co Cork, which lay untouched in her bag for nearly two weeks.
The life-changing win came to light when she finally decided to clear out her handbag last weekend, unearthing the unscratched ticket that would transform her fortunes.
Recounting her discovery at National Lottery HQ in Dublin, the winner said: “I bought the scratch card almost two weeks ago and had forgotten about it as it was buried at the bottom of my handbag.”
“Last weekend, I decided to clear out my bag, and that’s when I found the unscratched card, so I got a coin and scratched it,” she explained.
The moment of revelation proved overwhelming for the winner.
“I screamed with excitement when I matched three fireplaces, which meant I’d won the top prize; I was in total shock!” she said.
In another stroke of luck, a Kilkenny man claimed a €20,000 prize this week from a ‘Merry Money’ scratch card purchased at O’Keeffe’s Daybreak on Market Street in Thomastown.
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The winner described the moment of discovery while sitting in his car.
He said: “When I first saw that I won €20,000, I couldn’t believe it. I ran straight back into the shop to ask the assistant to scan the ticket to make sure I wasn’t seeing things.”
While still contemplating how to spend his windfall, the winner hinted at future plans, noting: “But I’m certain there’ll be a sunny trip on the cards next year”.
The National Lottery is spreading festive cheer with its Christmas scratch card campaign, offering more than £7 million in total prizes.
Customers who purchase Christmas scratch cards can also participate in a second-chance Christmas Bonus Draw online.
National Lottery spokeswoman Sarah Ruane emphasised responsible gaming, said: “We are reminding our players and everyone hoping to spread the festive cheer with our Christmas games, to support our ‘Gift Responsibly’ campaign when purchasing any National Lottery product as a gift.”