Ohio man threw his lottery ticket in the trash, then went dumpster diving and pulled out $100,000

Not every lucky break arrives gift-wrapped. A Willard, Ohio resident recently found himself in a frantic scramble after accidentally tossing a winning scratch-off lottery ticket in the garbage. His quick thinking turned a near-miss into a $100,000 windfall.

The man had purchased a Bingo 25 Times 25 scratch-off from a Circle K on Walton Street. The ticket somehow ended up in the trash during the shuffle of daily life, and the realization hit him shortly after. As detailed by UPI, he told Ohio Lottery officials he immediately went into a panic and began dumpster diving to recover the discarded slip.

Timing was everything. He managed to retrieve the ticket before collection services arrived, confirmed it was a $100,000 winner, and proceeded to claim his prize. After required tax withholdings, the man walked away with $73,250.

Dumpster diving for a $100,000 prize is apparently a thing that happens in Ohio

The Ohio Lottery Commission has specific rules for how winners can claim their prizes, and the process varies by amount. Smaller prizes up to $599 can generally be cashed at any Ohio Lottery retailer, while prizes up to $25,000 can be claimed via mobile cashing through the official app, at one of the state’s seven Racinos, or through direct deposit at a regional lottery office. The Willard man is not the only recent scratch-off winner to make headlines, as a Baltimore street sweeper also won $100,000 on a convenience store ticket after an unplanned stop on the way home.

For prizes exceeding $5,000, winners must file a formal claim. The Ohio Lottery Commission provides specific forms for this purpose and issues a File Claim Receipt to track the process. Valid photo identification, such as a driver’s license, state ID, military ID, or passport, is required to verify ownership of the ticket.

Winners also have 180 days from the drawing date or the game’s closing date to claim their prize. The commission places responsibility on the customer to verify all ticket information is correct before leaving the retailer. Any errors must be flagged and corrected on the spot. Amid wider online conversations about unexpected financial discoveries, a Reddit user also found $5,400 in cash hidden in a grandfather’s dresser and chose not to tell the family.

For the Willard resident, the extra effort of digging through the trash was worth it. He claimed his prize and took home $73,250 after tax withholdings.