Lottery player almost threw away Iowa jackpot ticket. Then he spotted his mistake

When a lottery ticket a man hoped to purchase was sold out, his consolation ended up being a jackpot winner.

But the ticket John Jordon purchased nearly went in the trash, he told Iowa Lottery officials.

“I was going to throw it away, except the next morning when I got up, I checked it on my phone and I’d forgot to scratch off two of the letters,” Jordon said.

Jordon purchased the $20,000 Crossword scratch-off ticket at a convenience store in Waukon. The crossword game was a backup option for Jordon, who originally planned to purchase a separate ticket.

After finally realizing his ticket was a $20,000 winner, he checked it “three or four times” and then checked again at the store.

“I didn’t know what to think! ‘No, this couldn’t be happening to me,’” he told lottery officials. “But sure enough.”

Jordon said he plans to pay bills and buy a motorcycle with his winnings.

Odds of winning the top prize in the $20,000 Crossword game are 1-in-118,314.71.

Waukon is about 105 miles north of Cedar Rapids.

This story was originally published May 3, 2023 at 10:26 AM with the headline "Lottery player almost threw away Iowa jackpot ticket. Then he spotted his mistake."