People often forget where they tucked a receipt or a lottery slip. In a car, it can end up in a glovebox or under a seat. Hidden away in an accessory, then no one thinks about it again. For a lottery player, that forgetfulness can be costly. Especially when the dream already seemed out of reach. That’s exactly what happened to a father and his son. They were convinced they had simply put their car up for sale.
Like many regular players, the duo had gotten into the habit of slipping every ticket into the sun visor of the car. A convenient stash to remember to check the prize codes later, at least in theory. Because the next ticket stayed there, forgotten, while the car was being sold. It wasn’t until they did a final sweep of the cabin that the father spotted that little paper clip. A discovery that would turn a routine auto transaction into a EuroMillions – My Million victory.
A EuroMillions ticket forgotten in the sun visor at the moment of selling the car
The details go back to November 2018, according to the story now highlighted by the lottery operator. A father and son, loyal players of the game, validated a grid as they often do. True to routine, the son slipped the game slip into the sun visor of the car. Like tucking away a toll receipt. Then life resumed, the draw passed, and the ticket slipped from their minds.
A few days later, the car would be listed for sale. Before handing it over to the buyer, the father took the time to cruise through the interior. To make sure nothing had been left behind. As he lowered the sun visor, he spotted the ticket, stubbornly stuck there for roughly three weeks. He had it checked, and discovered that this ticket, through its My Million code, carried a €1 million prize. Had he not checked, the car would have left with the ticket aboard, and the two of them would have missed a fortune. The winner would later sum up his state of mind in one line: “When I think I almost sold the car with the My Million ticket inside, I get chills!” he told reporters, quoted by the Française des Jeux.
60 days to cash in the prize and other tickets nearly lost
The luck also hinges on the game’s rules. With the My Million draw, every EuroMillions ticket validated in France is assigned a unique code. One of those codes is drawn to award a €1 million prize at each draw. To claim the prize, players have 60 days from the draw date. In their case, the ticket found in the sun visor was recovered after about three weeks—well within the deadline.
The near-miss in this car is reminiscent of other “almost-lost” lottery tales. On Réunion Island, a player found a EuroMillions – My Million receipt while cleaning the shell of his phone. He was about to toss the phone case, then paused to check the ticket and discovered again a €1 million prize awaiting cashing. In Italy, in the Apulia region, a player had to enlist the municipal workers to recover her lottery ticket from a truck full of garbage. She initially thought it was a loss, but it was worth €1 million. In all these cases, a single last glance at a forgotten ticket changed everything. And for drivers, the sun visor example invites a double-check before you close the door.
