New York, January 8: Owing to their remarkable math skills, a retired couple from the United States has amassed over $26 million (roughly Rs 200 crore) in lottery wins. The Evart convenience shop was owned by Jerry and Marge Selbee, who are 80 and 81 years old, respectively, until they sold it and retired in their 60s, according to the New York Post. After seeing a brochure for a brand-new lottery game named Winfall in 2003, Jerry Selbee discovered a mathematical bug that would almost ensure victory. One special element of the WinFall game was that the money would flow down to ticket holders with fewer winning numbers if the jackpot reached US$5 million ($7 million) and failed to go off. If he bought enough tickets, he was certain that the mathematical defect would assure winnings.

Selbee, a maths student in college, estimated that if he spent $1,100 on 1,100 tickets, the likelihood was that he would get at least 18 or 19 three-number winners that paid $900 and one four-number winner that would pay out $1,000. That implied he would make a handsome $800 profit on his $1,100 investment, which would offer a $1,900 return. US: Colorado Man Wins USD 5 Million Lottery Jackpot, Buys Watermelon and Flowers for Wife.

When the pair first started playing, they bet $3,600 on Winfall tickets and won about $6,300. He then placed a $8,000 wager and increased his money game by double. They eventually became so skilled at the game that they founded G.S. Investment Strategies and asked their friends and relatives to invest $500 apiece in the company. Later, they learned that Massachusetts, which is over 700 miles distant, had a Winfall lottery that was comparable. Thus, the Selbees bought hundreds of thousands of tickets at two convenience shops and travelled to Massachusetts each time there was a rolldown. Italy Man Wins Record Lottery Jackpot of 209 Million Euros.

The Selbees said that in the nine years that they participated in Winfall, their group earned around $8 million in profit before taxes and won a total of $26 million. The funds were utilised for home renovations and to assist with the education of their six children, fourteen grandchildren, and ten great-grandchildren. The Inspector General launched an inquiry as a result of their gains and expensive ticket purchases. Nevertheless, it turned out that the Selbees had been following the law and that their strategies were legitimate. The tale of the Selbees is now serving as the basis for the upcoming film "Jerry & Marge Go Large."

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Jan 08, 2024 04:34 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).