GRAND PRAIRIE, Texas — After every race at Lone Star Park in Grand Prairie, there’s bound to be a big winner.
And we’re not talking about the horses.
Bettors rake in thousands every race day and yet, for years, the people holding the biggest payout never even knew it.
“Maybe they feel like the odds are too outrageous for them to win, but winners do happen,” said Rodney Nelson, Lone Star Park’s marketing manager.
Nelson says two or three times a year, the track mails out mystery vouchers. It’s free money.
Those who receive one just have to bring the voucher to the track, cash it in and collect the winnings. No need to put up any of their own money.
Most vouchers are just $10, but there’s always one worth $25,000.
The track has sent 40,000 vouchers twice a year for 23 years and the grand prize has never been claimed.
“Over a million vouchers and no one has ever had the grand prize,” Nelson said.
In other words, for two decades, unbeknownst to them, someone has gotten $25,000 in their mailbox and, thinking it was junk, likely just thrown it away.
Every single time.
Marcellus Duke says he’s gotten dozens of vouchers over the years and often ignored them. He only makes the drive from Garland if he’s not busy.
He got another voucher last weekend and since he had nothing else to do, he took a chance.
“I took it to the self-serve machine and I put it in there and the machine just locked up,” Duke said.
He said he thought the machine malfunctioned before track officials explained to him that he’d just landed a jackpot.
Twenty-three years, a million vouchers, and finally, one big winner.
“It’s almost like shock where you think, ‘this is not possible,’” said Duke.
The track plans to continue the mystery voucher program even after presenting Duke with his big payday.
“We want to continue this for years and years,” Nelson said.
How many others may have shared Duke’s jubilation if only they realized sometimes it pays to open the mail?
“It’s worth a check,” Duke said.
Worth a check, and a whole lotta cash.