26th March 2023 – (Hertfordshire) A couple from Hertfordshire, Rachel Kennedy and Liam McCrohan, thought they had won a staggering £182m EuroMillions jackpot (HK$1.74 billion) after playing the winning numbers for five weeks in a row. However, their dreams were dashed when they discovered a technicality had caused them to lose out on the life-changing sum of money.
The National Lottery app notified Rachel that her usual numbers were a “Winning Match”, leading her to believe she had hit the jackpot. She immediately called Liam and her mother into the room to share the exciting news.
But their joy turned to heartbreak when they found out that Rachel’s ticket payment had not gone through due to insufficient funds in her account. Despite having the winning numbers, they were ineligible for the prize.
Rachel said, “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.” Liam had already started planning how they would spend the money and was devastated by the news.
“I was already picturing our dream house and the dream car,” he said. “I think I was getting a bit carried away to be fair.”
The couple soon discovered that the technicality that had caused them to miss out on the jackpot was that Rachel’s ticket payment had not gone through. She did not have enough money in her account at the time of purchase, despite playing the winning numbers for five weeks in a row.
Rachel had been using a set of random numbers that she had clicked on the app one day and had been using ever since. The couple had been playing these numbers for several weeks, but Rachel now believes they are unlucky and has changed them for future draws.
Liam took to Twitter to share their unlucky lotto incident, initially posting it for his friends to see. However, the post quickly gained traction and went viral, garnering over 31,000 likes and shares.
Rachel, on the other hand, was too embarrassed to post anything about their misfortune. The couple has since received an outpouring of sympathy and support from social media users.
Despite the disappointment of missing out on the jackpot, Rachel and Liam have taken the experience as a lesson learned. They now know the importance of having sufficient funds in their accounts before making any purchases.
Rachel said, “We’re absolutely not going to keep using those numbers now. I’ve never won anything before, we’ve just got the worst luck when it comes to stuff like this.”
The couple has also learned to be more cautious about getting carried away with the excitement of a potential win. Liam admitted, “I think I was getting a bit carried away to be fair.”
