I found winning EuroMillions lottery ticket that wasn't mine – but took home over £18,000 after cashing in prize

Scottish Sun

25-04-2025

The situation goes to show the 'lottery isn't just about money — it's about meaning'
LOTTO LUCK I found winning EuroMillions lottery ticket that wasn't mine – but took home over £18,000 after cashing in prize
A SON found his mum's winning EuroMillions lottery ticket and cashed it in for £18,403.
Liam Carter, 34, originally from Hampshire but living in Aberdeen, had been sorting through his mum's belongings, who sadly died three days prior.
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Liam said the event was like 'one final gift' from his late mum
Credit: getty
Anne, who died aged 67, usually kept lottery tickets in the kitchen drawer.
While Liam sifted through the area, he came across a folded envelope.
On it, Anne had written: "Sat draw - don't forget!"
Although he was tempted to leave it, "something" told Liam to reconsider.
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He said: "I scanned it using the National Lottery app, and it said it was a winning ticket — but I'd have to call the lottery line."
Liam phoned the line last Saturday and was told his mother, who played the lottery every week, had matched five of the numbers from the draw and had only missed the missing stars.
This meant she had won a payout of £18,403.
Liam described his reaction. He said: "I just froze.
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"I must've gone quiet on the phone. It didn't feel real. She never won anything big in her life — and now this."
He added: "She always said if she ever won, the money would be for me.
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"And even though she never knew about this win, it really felt like something she left behind for me. Like one final gift."
Liam plans to put the money towards a deposit on a flat, something he says his mother always wanted him to do.
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A spokesperson from Playcasino.com said: "Liam's story shows that the lottery isn't just about money — it's about meaning.
"In this case, a forgotten ticket became something powerful and emotional.
"It's a reminder that even the smallest moments can carry the biggest impact."
How to play in the EuroMillions
To take part in the EuroMillions, pick five numbers from one to 50 and two lucky stars from one to 12.
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You could also try a Lucky Dip for a random selection.
Then choose to play on Tuesday or Thursday or both if you're feeling super lucky.
Then select the amount of weeks you'd like to play. You can play up to seven lines of numbers and buy up to 10 play slips at a time.
EuroMillions tickets can be bought online every day from 6am to 11pm but to play on a drawer day the ticket must be bought before 7.30pm.
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