The National Lottery has responded to a couple who were told they couldn’t claim their $200 million jackpot.
For many of us, winning the lottery is what dreams are made of.
It’s a classic ice breaker at parties, with some people naming purchases they would make that are highly questionable.
It’s the news no one expects to receive, but would absolutely love for it to happen.
Yet for one young couple, their ‘win’ ended up turning into a complete nightmare.
Rachel Kennedy and Liam McCrohan, who were 19 and 21 at the time, believed they had won the £182 million ($216 million) jackpot on the EuroMillions.
Speaking to The Sun, she said: “I went on the app and it said ‘Winning Match’ and I thought ‘Oh my God, I’ve won.’
“So I called my boyfriend Liam and my mum into the room and they couldn’t believe it either.”
But despite being told her numbers were a ‘winning match,’ one vital error meant that the two were never able to collect their money – potentially making the scenario the highest high, to the lowest low, ever witnessed.
The Hertfordshire couple – who had played the same numbers for multiple weeks in a row – admit they got a bit ‘carried away’ in fantasizing about how they could spend the money.
However, they soon found out they wouldn’t be getting the large sum of cash.
Kennedy was a university student at the time of the false-win, and didn’t have the funds in her account to buy a ticket.
And for those wondering, the lucky numbers were 6, 12, 22, 29, 33, 6, and 11.
She explained: “I called the number thinking that I had won £182 million and they said ‘Yeah you’ve got the right numbers but you didn’t have the funds in your account for the payment of the ticket.’
“I was on top of the world when I thought I had won, but when I found out I hadn’t, Liam was actually more upset than I was.”
Kennedy admitted that they had the ‘worst luck’, while McCrohan added: “She was quite relaxed about it, but I had kind of spent it in my head already.
“I was absolutely heartbroken when we heard the man on the phone say we hadn’t actually bought the ticket.”
But since the heart-shattering moment occurred, the National Lottery has spoken out.
A spokesperson for the company said: “We’re aware of Rachel’s story, and hope she gets in early to buy a ticket for the next big draw.”
