A Newton man who thought he and his wife had won $500 said he was dumbfounded when he realized they'd won $50,000 instead. (Iowa Lottery)
Clive, Iowa
An Iowa man says he was pleasantly surprised to find out he and his wife won a lot more on their lottery scratch-off ticket than he initially thought.
David Russell thought he and his wife had won $500 while playing the Super Crossword game, but that turned out to be $50,000.
“I looked at her and I was speechless,” Russell said. “I looked at her and I said, ‘You better add some zeroes.’”
Russell won the 53rd top prize in the Iowa Lottery’s $50,000 Super Crossword scratch game.
The lucky winner said he bought the winning ticket at Pit Stop Liquors in Newton and brought it home for his wife to scratch while he cooked dinner.
His wife then called for him to turn off the grill and check the ticket. When Russell scanned it, they realized it was a big winner.
“I haven’t been that excited for a long time,” he said. “The excitement hasn’t stopped. I’ve been thrilled to death to tell others, to show others, how real it really is.”
Russell said he and his wife have a couple of ideas for the winnings.
“We’re looking at buying a new house and that would be perfect for some furnishings, or we’ve thought about putting it back for retirement,” he said. “Either way, it’s wonderful.”
The $50,000 Super Crossword is a $5 scratch game that features 105 top prizes of $50,000 and overall odds of 1 in 3.26.