Indiana Man Thought He’d Won $100,000 In The Lottery — Then A ‘technical Issue’ Revealed His Real Prize

An Indiana man who believed he had won a $100,000 lottery jackpot was stunned erstwhile lottery officials later told him his prize was really worthy conscionable $20 owed to a"technical issue."

Mike Fields purchased respective tickets for nan Hoosier Lottery's caller $5 Space Invaders Cash Invasion scratch-off crippled soon aft it launched. After scratching 1 of nan tickets, Fields said he uncovered a rocket vessel awesome that appeared to grant nan game's apical prize of $100,000. Excited by what he believed was a life-changing win, he scanned nan summons and initially thought he had deed nan jackpot.

But erstwhile Fields took nan summons to nan Hoosier Lottery office successful Indianapolis to declare what he believed was a $100,000 jackpot, officials told him a method rumor had affected nan crippled and that he had really won conscionable $20.

“They ne'er told us, ‘No.' They conscionable said that we wouldn't beryllium paid today, and nary different accusation really, isolated from that we would beryllium informed by message wrong 30 days,” Fields, a forklift driver, told WXIN.

Lottery officials reportedly claimed nan ticket's printed symbols did not lucifer nan game's charismatic validation records, making nan prize worthy $20 contempt appearing to show a six-figure win.

Fields was not nan only subordinate affected. Another Indiana resident, Glendon Jones, believed he had won $2,500 connected a Space Invaders Cash Invasion ticket, only to study that it was not a victor astatine all.

“I get here, and they opportunity it's a mess-up, a misprint, and that I'm beautiful overmuch retired of luck connected it,” Jones told WXIN astir going location from lottery office empty-handed.

Both men said they received small mentation erstwhile they visited office and were told nan matter was nether review. Hoosier Lottery officials person since stopped nan waste of nan $5 of Space Invaders Cash Invasion scratch-off game, which launched successful May, and are now urging players who had akin issues pinch their tickets to taxable protestation forms and nan scratchers successful question.

"The $5 Space Invaders Cash Invasion Scratch-off launched pinch a method issue. We halted nan income of nan summons to guarantee nan crippled acquisition upholds nan integrity we strive to provide," nan Hoosier Lottery said successful a connection connected its website.

“All accusation must beryllium thoroughly completed for reappraisal to occur, including mailing nan purchased summons pinch nan completed shape nary later than November 30, 2026. For further questions, players whitethorn telephone nan Hoosier Lottery astatine 1-800-955-6886,” nan connection concluded.

The Independent has contacted nan Hoosier Lottery for comment.