Delaware man says he slept with winning lottery ticket in his hand before claiming $69,032

A 70-year-old retiree from Bear has won $69,032 in the Multi-Win Lotto game, according to Delaware Lottery officials.

And what did he do after discovering he had won? He slept with the ticket, of course.

“I was checking the tickets online on Saturday morning and thought I was hallucinating,” the man said about finding out he had the winning numbers. “I went to the store to double check. I even slept with the ticket in my hand.”

The man, who wishes to remain anonymous, matched all six numbers — 09-13-18-23-31-32 — in the Feb. 8 drawing using Quick Pick. He will end up with $52,464 after taxes.

The man told officials he started playing Multi-Win Lotto every Friday at the Acme store in the Fox Run Shopping Center in Bear after recently moving to the area.

But this isn't the retiree's first big lottery win. He won $8,000 in a multi-win game in New Jersey, he told officials.

With his latest winnings, the man said he planned to “do something nice for my fiancé and myself. This will give us a buffer with the move and (new) house.”

The man claimed his prize Monday.