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NEW ORLEANS (WDSU) — A New Orleans cashier went to work one morning last week to find out he had the winning ticket for an $800,000 Louisiana Lottery jackpot.
Saleh Atallah, who works at Louisa Mini Mart in New Orleans, found out the morning of Jan. 31 that he was the sole player to match all six numbers drawn during the previous night’s lotto drawing, Louisiana Lottery officials said.
“I was so happy,” Atallah said. “It was my wife’s birthday, so I called her immediately, but she kept saying, ‘You’re lying.'”
Atallah, who lives in Terrytown, said his wife believed the ticket was for $800 until they made their way to the Louisiana Lottery office, where they claimed the $800,000 jackpot prize.
Louisa Mini Mart received a one-time $8,000 bonus, one percent of the prize, officials said. The winning numbers for the Jan. 30 drawing were 05-12-14-23-24-37.
Atallah received $568,000 after taxes. He said he plans to keep working and use his winnings to help relatives and his daughter with school expenses.
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