A resident of central Switzerland has earned himself nearly SFr5 million ($4.71 million), redeeming a winning lottery ticket just days before the money was to go to public projects.
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The man had picked the right six numbers back in January, but did not realise he was the winner until a few days ago.
Swisslos, the company that manages the lottery in the German- and Italian-speaking parts of the country, had not heard from the ticket owner since the draw.
A few weeks ago, it published a communiqué asking the winner to come forward.
The man’s wife suggested he check his tickets, an idea that lead to the SFr4.92 million windfall. A third of this sum will be automatically turned over to the tax authorities.
Around half of the Swiss take their chances on the lottery at least once a year.
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You can find an overview of ongoing debates with our journalists here. Please join us!
If you want to start a conversation about a topic raised in this article or want to report factual errors, email us at english@swissinfo.ch.