An unhoused man won $55,000 in the lottery... then learned he couldn't claim his prize
There are some people in dire need of some good luck, and one of them is an unhoused man in Italy who won the lottery.
Gianluigi is a down-on-his-luck man from Italy who decided to buy a SuperEnalotto lottery ticket for €1.50 (C$2.24), reports Leggo. He bought the ticket at a store in the small port town of Senigallia. And it turned out to be the right move because Gianluigi ended up winning a prize worth €37,045 (C$55,234.84) in October.
miszaszym/Shutterstock
It seemed like luck had finally turned for him… or so he thought.
Just as soon as he discovered that he had a chance to start over, he realized that he wouldn’t be able to claim his winnings because, unfortunately, he didn’t have a health card. To add to that, his tax number had expired.
“To collect them, you need the health card, but I don’t have it,” said Gianluigi. “I only have an old tax code which is no good; you need what’s on the health card.”
Robson90/Shutterstock
Gianluigi, who has no fixed address and no longer has any contact with his family, relies on Caritas, a non-profit, for support.
But according to an update from ANSA, it appears this story will finally have a happy ending.
The news site reported that “after a month of bureaucratic tinkering,” officials announced that Gianluigi would finally be able to claim his winnings.
PHLD Luca/Shutterstock
After taxes, Gianluigi will receive around €30,000 (C$44,728).
As for what he’ll be doing with his windfall, Gianluigi said, “I will manage this money myself. I want to continue to remain invisible.”
Massimo Severi, who manages the store where Gianluigi bought his winning ticket, said, “I’m happy [the money] went to him.”