Iowa Lottery

Sigourney Man Expects $300 Prize, Ends Up With $30,000 Prize

Dustin Bensmiller Wins Top Prize of $30,000 Playing the "Holiday Crossword" Scratch Game

  Hear Dustin tell his story.

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DES MOINES, Iowa - A Sigourney man missed a couple of letters on his "Holiday Crossword" scratch ticket, so when he tried to claim a $300 prize he was told he had actually won much more.

Dustin Bensmiller, 25, said he was sitting at home with a few friends when he scratched the ticket. He took it back to Casey's, 405 E. Jackson St. in Sigourney to cash in what he thought was a $300 prize. On his way there, he realized he had missed a letter and then thought he had won a $3,000 prize.

"The lady's like, 'Did you say you won three thousand or thirty thousand?'" And I said, 'Three thousand,'" Bensmiller said. "And she said, 'Nope, you won thirty thousand!'"

Bensmiller called his dad to tell him the good news.

"He thought I was kidding with him," he said.

Bensmiller, who works for the street department for the City of Sigourney, said of all the scratch tickets, Crossword is his favorite game. He said he is planning to get ahead on some bills, as well as give some to charity.

"I'm going to donate some money to the Lord's Pantry in Sigourney," he said.

Bensmiller claimed his prize Dec. 10 at the Iowa Lottery's regional office in Cedar Rapids.

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