Betty, 63, revealed that Geordie had returned from the bank, claiming to be “skint”, but she still couldn’t explain why she had thought to delve into the bin to pick up the ticket and take it to the shop. She recalled the manager of the RS McColls store visibly shaking as he realised the size of the win, before inviting Betty into a back room to break the news.
The couple, from Lochgilphead in Argyll, have pledged to make their first purchase a surprise holiday for Betty’s mother, followed by a £25,000 payout to each of their six children. However, there was no dash to a tropical beach for Geordie, who celebrated his good fortune by raising funds for Armed Forces Day in his capacity as chair of the local committee.
If you buy physical tickets for a lottery, it is important that you sign the back to prove your ownership, keep them in a safe place and check the numbers at the Lottery Results page as soon as possible after the draw. Remember that both Lotto and EuroMillions in the UK have supplementary games - Lotto Raffle and Millionaire Maker - where prizes are won by matching a special code printed on your ticket, so be sure to look up those results too.
The Rhodicks were extra lucky that Betty thought to reassess their entry, but many lottery prizes still go unclaimed every year. There is an outstanding Lotto jackpot win of £3 million from the draw on Wednesday 17th December 2014 on offer, but the unwitting player needs to contact lottery officials by Monday 15th June to receive their windfall. The ticket was bought in Stirling in central Scotland and, if no one presents it by the cut-off date, the prize and the interest it has accrued will be transferred to the National Lottery’s Good Causes fund.
If you live in the area, or were maybe visiting the famous castle and Wallace Monument just before Christmas, then now is the time to check the pockets of all your jeans, the glove compartment of the car and, just like Geordie and Betty, your recycling bin too. With the EuroMillions jackpot worth £81 million tonight, you wouldn't want to miss out on that eight-figure sum because you misplaced your ticket!