Mistaken Fortunes (And Not)

Talk about differences of fate. Here are two storys of incredible odds for large payouts and their association with a mistake. In the first, Rob Anderson, of Georgetown, Kentucky, made a quick stop on Christmas Eve to get a couple of lottery tickets as stocking stuffers. Instead of the three single $1 Powerball tickets he requested, the clerk mistakenly printed a single $3 ticket with three lines of numbers. He decided to keep the mistakenly printed ticket and got it in addition to his stocking stuffer tickets. As the mistakenly printed ticket made him and his wife the winner of a $128.6 million jackpot, his was the kind of mistake we all dream about. In England, however, Cliff Bryant placed two £5 accumulator bets on snow falling across 24 towns and cities in the North and Midlands on Christmas Day. He believes he won a long odds bet worth £7.1 million ($11 million). Unfortunately, the bookmaker, Ladbrokes, is refusing to pay, claiming the bet was accepted by mistake. Instead, the company has paid out on the single bets which it says are relevant – a sum of £31.78. This poor bloke is seeking legal advice, but unless he gets a favorable ruling, his instant fortune has been negated rather than created by a mistake.