A mother of two from Pontypridd, South Wales, is set to receive a £12 million lottery jackpot after her winning ticket was mistakenly thrown away by a shopkeeper. Kath Main, 46, discovered that her numbers for the Saturday draw on June 6 had been discarded when they failed to register on the machine at a Londis store in Abercynon.
Following an investigation by the National Lottery operator, Allwyn, it was concluded that Ms. Main will be awarded the prize money, provided no other claim is made before December 3. Ms. Main had played her usual lucky numbers: eight, 10, 26, 30, 35, and 42. Her mother, Fiona, who purchases the tickets weekly, was informed by the shopkeeper that the ticket had not registered any prizes and agreed for it to be discarded. Ms. Main only realized the ticket was a winner hours later, after the shop's bin had already been emptied. The shop currently lacks CCTV coverage as it is undergoing renovations.
Ms. Main expressed her anxiety about the waiting period, stating she feels "sick all the time" and is trying not to contemplate spending the money until the claim is finalized. The owner of the Londis store, Karan Kumar, called the potential win "amazing."
An Allwyn spokesperson confirmed that it is possible for the lottery to pay a winner even if the ticket has been lost, stating that investigations are conducted to ensure the rightful ticketholder receives the prize. The operator has the discretion to pay the player after the 180-day claim period has expired. Allwyn noted that over £33 million is raised for Good Causes each week through ticket sales.
This situation echoes previous instances where lottery winners have successfully claimed large prizes despite losing their tickets. In 2018, builder Andrew Clarke claimed £76 million after finding his ticket in his van's visor six weeks after the draw. Similarly, father-of-five Amo Riselli secured a £24.5 million jackpot after misplacing his ticket for two days, eventually finding it in his car's glove compartment.