The weird story of a lottery-playing couple who waited for their win in a supermarket car park

October 17, 2023 Ken Silver

Could this couple be the lottery players that waited until the last minute to play? Photo: Supplied

In the world of personal finance, it's not unusual to encounter people with intriguing backgrounds and unconventional stories.

But today, we're looking back at one particular personal finance blogger who, before her rise to financial wisdom, had a unique vantage point in the heart of one of Britain's largest lottery operators.

During her time at the lottery headquarters, she came across a number of unusual lottery beliefs and myths. These ranged from charming and curious stories to the outright peculiar.

Here is one of the most intriguing stories she came across, offering a glimpse into the world of unconventional lottery folklore.

An office where skilled operators worked Photo: Supplied

It started before she became a personal finance blogger. The writer at Totally Money used to work for a large lottery operator in the UK.

She said about her time there: "While there are heaps of lottery players who do play responsibly, there are other players who see that lottery play slip and immediately suspend all reason and logic, parting with huge sums on the craziest fanciful notions."

"During my time at the lottery operator, I came across lottery myths that ranged from the whimsical to the just plain weird."

This crazy-looking woman is getting enthusiastic about a lottery game called Money Vault Multiplier for a New York Lottery commercial. The following story is just as strange. Photo: NY Lotto

And she believed this one took the cake. She continues:

"This was truly the most bizarre myth I encountered during my time at the lottery.

A couple who would spend every draw day evening sitting in the supermarket car park.

At 7.28pm on the dot, they'd dash into the store and purchase their lottery tickets speedily ahead of the 7.30pm deadline.

I was baffled by this bizarre ritual, and asked them why they did this.

They said buying their tickets so close to the cut-off point would mean that their numbers were at the 'top of the pile' and were much more likely to be picked."

In other words, it sounded logical to the couple who were taking these unusual steps, but it was not a winning play for any reason.

Our advice? Make sure you don't get caught up in strange rituals like this one that have no basis in fact.

The lotteries have strict rules about not favoring any player over the rest, and they are held to account by the state they reside in to be legally accountable.