I won £500,000 Lottery jackpot but nearly lost the whole thing when I brushed it off as a ‘dream’
A LOTTERY winner has revealed how he nearly missed out on his £500,000 scoop by brushing it off as a "dream".
Retired British Gas worker Raymond Young, 63, checked his ticket in the middle of the night, but it was all a bit of a blur by the time he woke up again.
But after looking at his Thunderball slip again in the morning, Raymond, from Edinburgh, realised that it was far from a wishful illusion.
His winning Thunderball numbers on Saturday 23 March were 12, 14, 17, 25, 29 and the Thunderball was 14.
Raymond said: "I had woken up in the middle of the night and randomly decided to check my numbers which led me to see that I had won the top prize.
"I must have still been half asleep though as, in the morning I genuinely thought it was all a dream.
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How to play the National Lottery
For the National Lottery, players pick six numbers from 1 to 59, or can choose as 'Lucky Dip', which randomly selects them.
You can play up to seven lines of numbers on each play slip and buy up to 10 slips at one time.
Draws are on Wednesdays and Saturdays.
Each line costs £2.
Getting two main numbers will win players a free Lucky Dip.
Three main numbers earns £30.
Four main numbers will mean a payout of £140.
Five main numbers means £1,750.
Five main numbers plus the Bonus Ball will mean a prize of £1million.
And six main numbers will earn players the coveted Jackpot.
The lottery can "Rollover" up to five times. The fifth Rollover is a "Must Be Won" draw.
“So when I decided to have another check in the morning, this time fully awake, I couldn’t believe my eyes when I saw that I was still a winner.
“I’ve treated myself to a new car, as I was already around for one, so this just made it all the easier to buy what I wanted.
“I’ve also bought a static caravan, something that I’ve wanted to do for a long time but have never been able to.
"I’ve chosen a beautiful spot on the so I can’t wait to start going there with my and friends.”
Raymond bought his winning ticket from the Keystore in Dalkeith.
Raymond also revealed how he splashed out on a trip to his favourite seaside resort - Blackpool.
“I’ve been going there my whole life, from playing on the as a kid to staying with friends over the last decade, so it just had to be the place I chose to celebrate my win.”
It comes after a pensioner who scooped £200,000 on the Postcode Lottery has said she’s terrified the money won’t get to her in time.
Sadie, who has six grandchildren and nine great-grandchildren, was in the money when her postcode G69 6DQ came up in the draw.
But the widower, 86, needs the windfall in her account sooner rather than later.
She said: “The quicker the better in case I die tomorrow."
Meanwhile Daniel Millar, who blew a £80,000 lotto win on holidays and doing up his house, is desperate to get back onto benefits.
He won the jackpot in September 2017 but said the win turned into a nightmare after his benefits were stopped by the government.
The disabled granddad splurged the cash over several weeks on a cruise, two trips to Benidorm, renovations to his house, and handed out cash to his family, friends, and neighbours.
But he says that when the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) discovered the windfall they stopped several benefits.
It was reported earlier this week that a huge hunt was underway to find a lucky player who won £10,000 a month in the National Lottery’s Set For Life game.
They will be paid the huge sum every month for the next 30 years if they step forward.
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Players of the Set For Life draw-based game have been urged to check their tickets, and should call the National Lottery if they have the winning numbers.
The winning ticket matched the five main numbers – 11, 15, 26, 33, 44 – and the Life Ball number 10 in the draw.