News

October 25, 2011

Local man wins $4.2 million with Anthracite Newsstand lottery ticket

Mark Guydish

WILKES-BARRE - A 62-year-old local man won $4.2 million on a Match 6 Pennsylvania Lottery ticket purchased at the Anthracite Newstand on Public Square, Newstand owner Anne Marie Bossard confirmed this afternoon amid a crush of patrons buying tickets.

"He's the nicest person in the world," Bossard said, not revealing the name of the winner. "He buys tickets here every day."

Bossard said it was the largest lottery pay out from tickets sold at the Newstand in about 60 years. "This is the happiest day of my life," she said. The business will get $10,000 for selling the winning ticket.

Bossard said the customer always buys tickets for at least four different games, and that he purchased the winning ticket yesterday but didn't realize he won until he came to the store and had her check the numbers this morning. She accompanied him to the lottery office in Wilkes-Barre to confirm he had the winning number, which had been generated randomly by the store's lottery machine.

"He says this is the only place he buys tickets," Bossard said. The loyalty runs both ways. When the man was laid up following some surgery, Bossard said she sent the tickets to him every day at the rehabilitation center.

"Nobody knows how thrilled I am," Bossard said, recalling how her parents began the store by working from 4 a.m. to 5 p.m. just to earn a few dollars. "Every body's coming to me today, and I'm selling a lot of winners."

"Everybody" includes the big winner.

"He bought tickets off me today, just like he always does."

 

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