‘Crazy Story’ leads to discovery of $541k lottery win in Joplin

(Missouri Lottery) — A Joplin, Missouri, Lottery player who was just hoping to win enough to fill his gas tank walked away with a $541,000 jackpot prize.

“This is the craziest story,” he shared. “I get in my truck to get gas and had zero dollars in my pocket and no wallet. Then I remembered I had some Show Me Cash tickets in the console.”

He drove to the nearest gas station and began to scan his tickets to see if he had any winners.

“I started checking my tickets. I win $7,” he recalled. “The last ticket said ‘Claim at Lottery,’ so I had clerk scan the ticket.”

“‘You’re the guy!’ she whispered. I said, ‘What are you talking about?’”

The clerk told him a Show Me Cash jackpot-winning ticket had been sold in Joplin and showed him the winning numbers from the May 31 drawing.

“I looked down and saw $541,000 and said ‘Bull crap, get out of here,'” he laughed.

“She said, ‘No, you won,’” he continued. “I said ‘Well, I need $7 in gas.’”

His next move was to tell his wife.

“I promised her a house before a new truck. I told her, ‘Well, I guess you get your new house.’”

His ticket, purchased at White Oak USA Investments #235, 1930 S. Shifferdecker Ave. in Joplin, matched all five numbers drawn (15, 17, 18, 34 and 36) to win the $541,000 jackpot prize.

Show Me Cash is drawn daily at 8:59 p.m., with jackpots that start at $50,000 and grow until won. Tonight’s jackpot is estimated at $60,000.

Players who purchased tickets in Jasper County in FY23 won more than $15.7 million in total Missouri Lottery prizes. Retailers received more than $1.5 million in commissions and bonuses, and education programs in the county received more than $3.4 million in appropriated Lottery proceeds.