Joel Varela lives in Warsaw and works as a machinist. He had never played the lottery before but kept hearing about a growing Mega Millions® jackpot and decided to buy a ticket.

The day after the drawing, Joel was at work when someone yelled out that the Mega Millions numbers had been drawn. Joel pulled out his phone and looked up the numbers on the Hoosier Lottery’s website. “I had every single number except the 32,” Joel said. “Mine was a 22. I missed it by one number! I couldn’t believe it!”

At first, Joel wasn’t sure how much he won. “I had to do a little research,” he laughed. When he learned that he won $10,000, Joel was stunned and very happy. “I’m still in shock,” he said.

Joel plans to put his winnings in savings for now.

Mega Millions® Overall Odds: 1 in 24