Lottery Winner's £50,000 Dream Evaporates into £6 Reality
In a heartbreaking twist of fate, a man who believed he had secured a life-changing £50,000 National Lottery prize found his celebrations cut brutally short. Dean Smethurst, a supermarket manager from Lancashire, experienced an emotional rollercoaster after a routine ticket check led him to think he had struck it rich.
The Moment of Apparent Fortune
On 8 May 2023, Dean visited the Tesco store in Farnworth, Lancashire—a location where he had previously worked—to have his lottery card scanned. The cashier informed him he had won a prize in the Saturday draw, but the machine could not process the payout, directing him to contact Camelot directly instead.
Dean immediately investigated online, discovering that such a message typically indicates a win of at least £50,000, as larger prizes cannot be paid out in retail environments. Overwhelmed with excitement, he rushed home to share the news.
Celebrations and Plans
Dean, who has played the lottery for six years, "cracked open the bubbly" and began calling everyone he knew. He started planning how to spend his windfall, focusing first on renovating his £100,000 property, which he described as "like a building site." He also dreamed of treating his family to a luxury holiday in Barbados.
Remarkably, in his euphoria, Dean never thought to verify his numbers against the actual draw results. "I didn't think a company as large as Camelot could have got it wrong," he admitted.
The Crushing Blow
When Camelot's phone lines reopened the next morning, Dean received the devastating news. His supposed £50,000 prize was actually just three lucky dip entries for future games, worth only £2 each—totaling a mere £6.
"I am absolutely gutted," Dean said. "I thought, 'this is it, it's for real, my numbers have come up.' I didn't sleep because I was so excited." He described returning to the store, where the checkout assistant confirmed the win was only lucky dips, leading him to request a manager in disbelief.
The Explanation Behind the Mix-Up
Camelot clarified that Dean had attempted to claim his prize during a "draw break," when National Lottery sales are suspended while a draw takes place. Because Wednesday's draw was underway when his Saturday ticket was scanned, the system generated a generic validation slip not exclusive to high-tier prizes.
A Camelot spokesperson explained: "The prize couldn't be paid out at that time—because the ticket was still entered into a 'live' draw—so a validation slip was printed instead. This generic slip is used for a number of scenarios."
Coping with Disappointment
Fortunately, Dean had the day off work following the revelation, sparing him from facing colleagues. "I just watched television and my mum made me some comfort food, which wasn't much comfort," he recalled. His emotional journey from apparent fortune back to stark reality serves as a cautionary tale about verifying lottery wins before celebrating.
Dean's experience highlights the importance of checking draw results directly, even when systems suggest a major win. For now, he returns to his renovation projects without the lottery-funded boost he had briefly imagined.
