Customer Left Bartender Lottery Ticket As A Tip And She Won $50,000

A bartender was left with a hefty tip after a customer left her a lottery ticket that ended up winning her $50,000 (£38,600).

Taylor Russey who works at Bleachers Sports Bar in O'Fallon, Missouri, was left a Powerball ticket by one of the regular drinks a fortnight ago.

The particular customer occasionally buys tickets for everyone in the bar - especially when the jackpot is high, Taylor told the Missouri Lottery.

Google Maps

The 33-year-old explained: "He does this every now and then, and when he does, he still tips regularly. It's just something nice he does for us."

When it came to the following day Russey tried to scan the ticket at the lottery terminal and knew something wasn't quite right.

She added: "It told me I couldn't cash it, that I had to claim the prize at a lottery office because I won $50,000. I kind of stood there for a second, looked at the cook and then looked at the ticket before I started laughing and then I started crying."

Instagram/taterbean3825

Many of us would go straight out, booking holidays, buying cars and getting some new clobber - then wonder where the cash had all gone. But Taylor is much more sensible and doesn't want to blow the money or quit her job... sensible.

She said: "No, I'm not that kind of person. And this is not going to sustain me for the rest of my life. I still have to work."

Taylor's win took 'kind of a bit hit' when it came to taxes and she says none of her co-workers are jealous - ngl, the only way I'd not be jealous is if the taxes deducted were $50,000.

She concluded: "Honestly, I haven't had anybody say anything negative to me at all. Everybody's been supportive and congratulating me. It's become a very public news story."

SWNS

One person that was arguably a bit luckier than Taylor is this teenager who won £120,000 ($145,000) on his first ever lottery ticket.

Sam Lawton, 19, was having a soak in the bath when he decided to play the National Lottery for the first time and was left gobsmacked after he matched the winning numbers.

The lucky LAD purchased the ticket via an online mobile phone app for £1.50 ($1.80) and is now celebrating landing a cool £10,000 ($12k) for the next 12 months.

He plans to splash out on driving lessons, a deposit for a new home and a holiday to New York, US, with his delighted girlfriend, 20-year-old Connie Belle.

Topics: News, US News, Lottery, US

Rebecca Shepherd

I'm Becky - a journalist at LADbible. I graduated with a First Class BA in Journalism before going on to cover criminal court cases, medical tribunals and breaking news for the national media - which inevitably and eventually became as glum as it sounds. Can often be found rocking a bag for life - which I made a 'thing' way before Rihanna. You can contact me at [email protected]

@RJShepherd94