Lottery player thought he won $50 or $75. But his wife knew his win was much bigger

An Iowa Lottery player won a jackpot prize — one much larger than even he realized.

Rogelio Almanza, a 70-year-old man from Rock Island, Illinois, said he purchased a $50,000 Super Crossword scratcher at a convenience store in Buffalo, Iowa, while traveling to visit friends.

He scratched it off when he got home, but he needed assistance from his wife to verify his win.

“I told my wife, ‘I think I won $75 or $50. Do you want to check it?’” Almanza told lottery officials in a Nov. 21 news release. “So she checks it and she goes, ‘Ro, you won! $50,000!’”

The $50,000 win is the top offering in the game and one of 25 top prizes that have been claimed. Odds of winning the jackpot in the $50,000 Super Crossword are 1-in-120,790.

When he checked the ticket at a local store, he said the clerk was even happier than he was.

“She was in shock. She’s like, ‘Oh, that’s a good one!’” Almanza said.

He told lottery officials he’ll share his $50,000 with his family.

Rock Island is about 65 miles southeast of Cedar Rapids.

This story was originally published November 21, 2023 at 1:03 PM with the headline "Lottery player thought he won $50 or $75. But his wife knew his win was much bigger."