Changing her usual Scratchers purchase to a “Cosmic Crossword” ticket led a Missouri Lottery player to win one of 10 $50,000 top prizes available in the $3 game. She bought the winning ticket at Midwest Petroleum, 12188 Bellefontaine Road, in St. Louis.

“I usually play the Bingo tickets,” the winner shared. “I didn’t see the one I wanted, so I got this one instead.”

It turned out to be a stroke of luck, but after first uncovering the letters, she wasn’t sure she had really won.

“I didn’t know if I won or if I was trippin’,” she laughed. “I took the ticket back to the store to scan it. The screen said I won, but I still didn’t believe it, so I had another person that was standing there scan it, too!”

So far, “Cosmic Crossword” players have won more than $3.2 million in prizes. Currently, over $10.2 million in prizes remain unclaimed, including six additional $50,000 prizes.

In FY25, Lottery players in St. Louis County won more than $195.9 million in Missouri Lottery prizes, retailers received more than $18.8 million in commissions and bonuses, and more than $47.9 million in Lottery proceeds went to educational programs in the county.