12/08/2008 - 3:55 PM

Mistake Powerball Ticket Turns Store Manager into Winner

Lorraine Rezin of Crowley has a reason to smile after claiming a $200,000 match-5 Powerball prize at the Lottery's Lafayette office.

Lorraine Rezin of Crowley won a $200,000 Powerball prize by mistake. The 38-year-old manager of Exit 80 Travel Plaza in Crowley purchased a Powerball ticket she generated for a customer who decided he didn't want it. The ticket ended up matching all five white ball numbers in the Nov. 29 Powerball drawing to win $200,000.

"A customer came in and I printed him a Powerball ticket, but it turned out he really wanted a scratch-off instead," explained Rezin, age 38. "Since Powerball tickets can't be cancelled, I decided to purchase it myself!"

Rezin said she plans to pay off her mortgage with her winnings.

Her ticket matched all five white ball numbers, but missed the red Powerball number. The Powerball numbers for the Nov. 29 drawing were 5-33-36-39-55 and the Powerball number was 21.

Exit 80 Travel Plaza will receive a one-time bonus of $2,000, or one percent of the prize amount, for selling the winning ticket.

Players must be at least 21 years old to purchase a Lottery ticket.  The Lottery encourages anyone who has a gambling problem or friends and family of anyone with a gambling problem to call toll-free 1-877-770-7867 for help.

For security purposes, the Lottery encourages players to sign the back of their tickets immediately after purchasing. More information about other Powerball winners can be found in the "Meet Our Winners" section of the Lottery's Web site, www.louisianalottery.com.