In this Sept. 16, 2009 file photo, a man fills out a lottery ticket in Cologne, Germany. (AP Photo/Roberto Pfeil)
Lottery officials say a woman in Germany carried a winning ticket in her purse for weeks without realizing it was worth about 33 million euros ($39 million).
Lotto Bayern said Wednesday that the 45-year-old woman was the sole winner of a draw on June 9, having correctly guessed seven fields on a German lottery ticket.
It quoted the woman, who wasn't named, saying “I still get dizzy at the thought that I carelessly carried almost 33 million euros around in my purse for several weeks.”
The mother of one had picked random numbers on the 1.20-euro lottery ticket and doesn't plan to play again, saying the win was “more than enough for my husband, my daughter and me," the company quoted her as saying.
It said she plans to use her lucky windfall to live a healthy life and do more for the environment.
Hollywood closed out an up and down 2023 with “Wonka” regaining No. 1 at the box office, strong sales for “The Color Purple” and an overall $9 billion in ticket sales that improved on 2022’s grosses but fell about $2 billion shy of pre-pandemic norms.
2024 is the Year of the Dragon for the Lunar New Year, which kicks off February 10. To commemorate the occasion, the U.S. Post Office unveiled a new dragon stamp.