LOUISVILLE, Ky. — This was one time when having your gift “stolen” paid off in the long run.
A Kentucky woman won a $175,000 lottery scratch-off during a white elephant exchange at her workplace’s holiday party.
Lori Janes, the office manager and treatment coordinator at Harmon Dental Center in Louisville, was participating in her office exchange, sometimes known as a “dirty Santa” game, WLKY-TV reported. The game allows participants to “steal” other people’s gifts if they like them, which forces the original recipient to choose another wrapped gift.
After 1st gift swiped in white elephant exchange, Louisville woman ends up with $175K lottery ticket https://t.co/GAnMDQZTZX
— WLKY (@WLKY) December 14, 2022
Janes had won a $25 gift certificate from TJ Maxx, but another employee claimed it. Janes chose another gift that had $25 worth of lottery scratch-offs, according to the television station.
“Once it got to me, it was done and mine to keep,” Janes told Kentucky Lottery officials in a news release. “That’s when everyone was telling me to scratch them off.”
Janes scratched off a $50 winner on her first lottery ticket, the Lexington Herald-Leader reported. Then she scratched off a $10 Hit The Jackpot ticket and won the game’s top prize -- $175,000.
“Everyone was going insane. People were getting their calculators out and double-checking. A couple of people even scanned the ticket on the lottery’s app, just to make sure,” Janes told lottery officials. “I couldn’t believe it. It was a $25 gift exchange, and I won $175,000!”
Janes cleared $124,250 after taxes, the Herald-Leader reported. She said she plans to use the money to pay off her daughter’s student loans and the family’s automobile loans.
Sunrise Market in Fisherville, where the winning scratch-off tickets were sold, will receive a $1,750 bonus, lottery officials said.
“This is so crazy,” Janes said. “I’m truly blessed.”
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