A man who helped out his busy colleague by buying him his regular lottery ticket ended up winning £20,000 after using his friend's numbers to buy himself a ticket as well.
The construction worker nicknamed ' Basketball Man' usually buys a $1 (82p) lottery ticket every day in Bryantown in Charles Country in the US. But on this occasion he didn't have time so asked his co-worker if he could do it.
Maryland Lottery explained in a statement: "The construction worker ('Basketball Man') plays the lucky number 12355, which is the birthday of a relative.
"He plays that number every day but on November 18, he couldn't make it to a Lottery retailer in time to buy his ticket for the midday drawing.
"A helpful co-worker visited the Bryantown Store in Bryantown and purchased 'Basketball Man's' $1 straight bet ticket.
"The co-worker then tried his own luck with a 50-cent straight bet ticket using the same number. Both were big winners!"
'Basketball Man' netted $50,000 (£41,200) while his pal got $25,000 (£20,600).
He told lottery officials: "My buddy was happy that I sent him out for the ticket."
Meanwhile in the UK a supermarket worker and her forklift truck driver partner are finally planning their wedding after winning £1 million on the lottery – following a 15-year engagement.
Ellie Land, 41, and Karl Ward, 43, from Norwich, Norfolk, have been together for 20 years, engaged for 15, and have two children, a 12-year old son and a daughter aged six.
They scooped £1 million on the EuroMillions UK Millionaire Maker after Miss Land bought a winning ticket at the Asda store where she works in Drayton High Road, Norwich.
If you're inspired by these wins, today's your last chance to enter the world's biggest lottery El Gordo, for a chance to win a share of £2.1 billion.
The draw, which takes place tomorrow in Madrid, is held every December and famously turns Brits and Spaniards into millionaires overnight.
If you want to be in with a chance to win a cash prize, you’ll have to be quick, as ticket sales close at 4pm UK time today.
This year, 180 million tickets are on offer and and the biggest winners can take home as much as £3.5million.
