A young couple were left heartbroken after believing they had won a huge EuroMillions jackpot.
Rachel Kennedy and Liam McCrohan thought they had secured more than $200 million.
Kennedy was 19 at the time, while McCrohan was 21. The couple were stunned when the numbers they regularly played appeared in the draw. They initially believed they had won around $216 million.
Kennedy had used the same numbers for five weeks in a row. She checked the National Lottery app after the draw. The app appeared to show a winning match for her usual numbers.
She then called McCrohan and her mother into the room. The couple began imagining how their lives might change. They also started thinking about dream homes and luxury cars.
Kennedy later contacted lottery officials to confirm the win. That call quickly changed the situation. She was told her numbers were correct, but no valid ticket had been purchased.
Payment issue stopped the ticket
The problem was linked to Kennedy’s online lottery account. Her payment had not gone through before the draw. Officials said there were not enough funds available for the ticket purchase.
That meant the couple did not own a valid entry. Even though their usual numbers matched, they were not eligible for the jackpot. The prize could not be collected without a paid ticket.
Kennedy said she had called believing she had won $216 million. She was then told the ticket had not been paid for. The news left the couple devastated after their brief excitement.
“I called the number thinking that I had won £182 million and they said ‘Yeah you’ve got the right numbers but you didn’t have the funds in your account for the payment of the ticket.’”
Kennedy said she had felt on top of the world before learning the truth. She added that McCrohan was even more upset than she was. The couple had already started picturing their future with the money.
“I was on top of the world when I thought I had won but when I found out I hadn’t, Liam was actually more upset than I was.”
Couple said they got carried away
The couple, from Hertfordshire, admitted they had got carried away after seeing the numbers. McCrohan said he had already spent the money in his head. He later shared his disappointment online after the result.
“When your Mrs decides not to play the EuroMillions… and all 7 of her usual numbers come up,” he wrote.
McCrohan said the call with lottery officials was crushing. He said hearing they had not bought the ticket left him heartbroken. Kennedy also said the situation reflected their bad luck.
“I’ve never won anything before, we’ve just got the worst luck when it comes to stuff like this.”
McCrohan said Kennedy was calmer than him after the disappointment. He said he had already imagined what the money could do. The couple were left knowing the numbers had matched without a valid ticket.
“She was quite relaxed about it but I had kind of spent it in my head already. I was absolutely heartbroken when we heard the man on the phone say we hadn’t actually bought the ticket.”
Lottery wins can bring challenges
The case showed how close the couple came to a life-changing jackpot. However, other lottery stories have shown that winning can also bring difficulties. Some winners have later spoken about stress, attention and personal problems.
Jane Park, from Edinburgh, became Britain’s youngest lottery winner at 17. She won $1 million after buying her first lottery ticket. However, she later said the win brought major challenges.
Park said she believed she had been too young to win. She later campaigned for the lottery age limit to be raised. The minimum age was eventually increased from 16 to 18.
She also spoke about death threats, stalkers and media attention. Park said she felt pressured by lottery organisers to go public. In the UK, winners are not required to reveal their identities.
Park later faced further difficulties after the win. She was hospitalised after cosmetic surgery complications led to sepsis. She also threatened to sue the lottery company after her experience.
“In the UK, it was 18 to gamble and 16 to play the lottery,” she explained.
“You couldn’t put a pound in a machine or couldn’t go in the shop and buy cigarettes or alcohol, and you couldn’t go into a casino, but you could play the lottery.”
Park said she wanted lottery organisers to listen to her concerns. She said going public with the issue felt like her only option. Her experience became part of wider debate about young lottery winners.
Featured image credit: @rachelkennedyyx/Instagram
