“This ticket’s haunted”: Attleboro man wins $1M from gifted scratch-off after heart surgery

ATTLEBORO, Mass. (WLNE) — An Attleboro man wins $1 million from a gifted lottery ticket, he got from a friend in a get well card after his open–heart surgery, on Thanksgiving. 

Alexander McLeish, 62, told ABC6 News he had a good feeling, when he scratched off the letters “AWM” on the lottery ticket—the same as his initials—and then the word “heart” before finding out he won the $1 million. 

“I said ‘this ticket’s haunted. It’s talking to me,’“ McLeish said.  

McLeish was standing with his son in McLeish’s kitchen, when he checked the winning Massachusetts Lottery “$5,000,000 100X Cashword” scratch-off ticket several times.  

“My wife came downstairs. She goes, ‘how’d you make out?’ and I said, ‘you ain’t going to believe it. It’s a million dollars,’” McLeish said. 

McLeish told ABC6 News he plans to spend the winnings on paying some bills, including from his heart surgery, and share with his family.  

“The wife will need a new car sometime soon. I‘m trying to get her to buy one now, but she’s holding out, still,” McLeish said. 

McLeish said he won’t be holding out on his lifelong friend, who bought him the $1 million winning ticket, after getting McLeish a $1,000 winning ticket in 2019. 

“[I’m going to] take care of him a little bit. You know?” McLeish said. 

According to McLeish, both winning tickets from his friend came from Quickeez Beer, Wine, and Convenience Store on North Main Street in Carver.