Photo: Iowa Lottery
(Clive, IA) -- A Des Moines man wins $300,000 from the "Win Big" scratch game. The Iowa Lottery says the man didn't plan on playing "Win Big" that day.
51-year-old Curtis Smith finished an overtime shift at a tire plant before stopping at a Des Moines Casey's at 4560 NE 14th Street. According to a press release from the Iowa Lottery, Smith says he attempted to purchase "Colossal Crossword" ticket, but it was unavailable. Smith bought a "Win Big" scratch instead.
"I got in my car and scratched it off, and I couldn’t believe it," says Smith. "I’m fumbling to get my phone to check it and finally, it came up that I won $300,000. I sat in the parking lot for 10 minutes. Just didn’t know what I was doing, I was in shock."
Smith says he's using the winnings to pay off his debt, buy a new home for him and his wife, and buy a headstone for his mother's gravesite.