Avid lottery player gets email that leaves her ‘speechless.’ She had won big

A federal employee facing a layoff now has some ‘peace of mind’ after winning big in the Maryland lottery, officials said.
A federal employee facing a layoff now has some ‘peace of mind’ after winning big in the Maryland lottery, officials said.

An avid lottery player won big after she didn’t throw away a losing scratch-off, California officials said.

Heidy Felipe, of Pasadena, bought a “2nd Chance” lottery ticket and although that ticket didn’t win, she entered the “40 Years of Play 2nd Chance Bonus Draw,” according to an April 25 news release by the California Lottery. She landed $40,000.

The “2nd Chance” game gives players the option to potentially win even if their initial game was a dud by scanning the code on their ticket with their lottery app, officials said.

“When I saw the email, I couldn’t believe it,” Felipe told lottery officials. “The next day, I went to the Lottery office, where they confirmed it was real, and I was speechless.”

Although Felipe plays often, this was her first win, officials said.

Felipe decided to use the money toward paying off her car and “now she’s just waiting for her title to arrive.”

“It’s the best thing that’s ever happened to me,” she told officials.

Pasadena is about a 10-mile drive northeast from downtown Los Angeles.

Many people can gamble or play games of chance without harm. However, for some, gambling is an addiction that can ruin lives and families.

If you or a loved one shows signs of gambling addiction, you can seek help by calling the national gambling hotline at 1-800-522-4700 or visiting the National Council on Problem Gambling website.

Aaron Moody is a sports and general reporter for the News & Observer. Here is a second sentence for the bio because it will probably be longer than this. Maybe even longer I don't know. Support my work with a digital subscription