Indiana man thought he just won $100,000 on a Space Invaders scratch-off. Then the lottery said it was worth $20 and blamed a technical issue

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An Indiana man says he believed he had won $100,000 from a scratch-off lottery ticket, only to be told the prize was actually worth $20, according to local Fox affiliate WXIN. The Hoosier Lottery has since reportedly pulled the game from sale, citing a “technical issue” with the newly launched scratch-off. Mike Fields, a forklift driver from Indiana, told WXIN that he had played four Space Invaders Cash Invasion scratch-off tickets and believed one of them showed a $100,000 grand prize. When he scanned the ticket to verify the win, he said the scanner showed he had only won $20. Fields said he went to Hoosier Lottery headquarters in Indianapolis to sort out the issue. As found by The Sun, lottery officials confirmed the problem was a “technical issue” but did not give him his money. “They never told us ‘no,’ they just said that we wouldn’t be paid today, and no other information really except that we would be informed by mail within 30 days,” Fields told WXIN. Multiple players reported similar issues with their tickets The $5 Space Invaders Cash Invasion scratch-off game features a rocket ship symbol that, according to Hossier Lottery, lets players instantly win the prize amount shown on the ticket. Fields’ ticket reportedly showed $100,000 under that symbol. Not every scratch-off story ends in disappointment, though, as a Maryland man who won $100,000 on a scratchcard doing a favor for a relative found out just how quickly luck can turn. Fields is reportedly not the only player to have run into problems with the game. Another Indiana resident, Glendon Jones says he believed he had won $2,500 and drove to the lottery’s Indianapolis headquarters to collect his prize, per The Sun. According to Jones, lottery staff had told him to come to headquarters and they would pay out the ticket. However, upon arrival, Jones said he was told not only that he had not won $2,500, but that his ticket was worth nothing at all. “I get here and they say it’s a mess up, misprint and that I’m pretty much out of luck on it,” Jones told WXIN. Some players have had better experiences with lottery tickets, as a New Jersey couple who won $4M across two tickets in six months proved that multiple wins are possible. The Hoosier Lottery confirmed to WXIN that it has halted sales of the $5 Space Invaders Cash Invasion scratch-off due to a “technical issue.” The lottery has since added a disclaimer to the game’s page on its official website, hoosierlottery.com.  According to the lottery’s official guidance, players who believe they were affected by the issue have been directed to submit a protest form along with their tickets to the Hoosier Lottery. Those experiencing issues can also call the lottery at 1-800-955-6886 or email Info@HoosierLottery.com, the disclaimer says. According to WXIN, the Hoosier Lottery said its $5 Space Invaders Fast Play game and a related second-chance promotion have not been affected and remain available to players.