Lottery player ‘started sweating’ due to shock from win. He credits a lucky penny

Down on his luck because of car trouble on a cross-country road trip, a man from Florida spotted something shiny as he went for a walk to clear his head.

That shiny object — a penny facing up — proved to be what Humberto Alejandre needed to turn around his misfortunes. Alejandre later used the penny to scratch off a jackpot-winning ticket in the Nebraska Lottery.

Alejandre, a former truck driver from Morriston, Florida, told Nebraska Lottery officials he was on the road trip to Colorado because he missed the open road. But he was forced to get a hotel in Omaha due to the car trouble.

He spotted the penny in the hotel’s parking lot, then tucked it away in his pocket. The penny came in handy when he purchased a 50X the Cash Scratch ticket at a nearby convenience store.

He used the penny to scratch off the ticket at the counter, but the ticket’s prize led to some skepticism.

“I wasn’t sure if I was reading it right,” he told lottery officials. “I had to go back to the hotel to get my glasses.”

Alejandre quickly realized he was a $200,000 winner. The $200,000 winnings is the top prize offered in the 50X the Cash game, which costs $20 to play.

“I felt so hot I started sweating,” he said of his win. “I was so excited I had to turn the air conditioning way up.”

He said he plans to use his winnings to fix his car and continue his road trip.

Morriston is about 95 miles northwest of Orlando.

This story was originally published May 23, 2023 at 9:52 AM with the headline "Lottery player ‘started sweating’ due to shock from win. He credits a lucky penny."