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Lottery player credits good luck charm after big win in Iowa. ‘I think it works’

An Iowa man won a huge lottery prize and says his lucky charm is to thank.
An Iowa man won a huge lottery prize and says his lucky charm is to thank. Image from the Iowa Lottery.

An Iowa man won a huge lottery prize and says his lucky charm is to thank.

Marvin Aldrich was given a four-leaf clover necklace as a gift before his big win, according to a news release from the Iowa Lottery. He says that necklace paid off when he bought a scratch-off ticket.

“I think it works, what do you think?” Aldrich said when claiming his prize Monday, Feb. 26. “My luck usually runs just the opposite. But I don’t know, I’m feeling pretty lucky today.”

Aldrich purchased a $5 “LUCK” scratch game at a BP in Bloomfield.

“It’s been riding around in my bag for a couple days,” he told lottery officials. “I just got it out last night and scratched it. I couldn’t believe it was all zeros behind that 5.”

He was surprised to see that he won the game’s third highest prize of $50,000. He called his wife over so she could verify the win.

“You have to have that other set of eyes to verify it,” Aldrich said.

Aldrich is a plumber and said the win brings him a lot of relief.

“We’re going to pay off our property,” he said. “We bought a place on contract and we have a balloon payment coming up in a year and a half. So this pays that baby off right there. It’s ours.”

Bloomfield is about 110 miles southeast of Des Moines.

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.

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This story was originally published February 28, 2024 at 4:32 PM with the headline "Lottery player credits good luck charm after big win in Iowa. ‘I think it works’."

Jennifer Rodriguez
mcclatchy-newsroom
Jennifer Rodriguez is a McClatchy National Real-Time reporter covering the Central and Midwest regions. She joined McClatchy in 2023 after covering local news in Youngstown, Ohio, for over six years. Jennifer has made several achievements in her journalism career, including receiving the Robert R. Hare Award in English, the Emerging Leader Justice and Equality Award, the Regional Edward R. Murrow Award and the Distinguished Hispanic Ohioan Award.
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