Kids credited with helping parents win scratch card top prize

Taipei, Jan. 30 (CNA) A family in Hsinchu City credited their two children for winning the Taiwan Lottery Co's. annual "Super Red Envelope" (2,000萬超級紅包) grand prize, while a Taichung family said their daughter was responsible for their decent scratch card haul, the company said Thursday.

Taiwan Lottery said the Hsinchu family won one of the game's 10 NT$20 million (US$606,990) prizes, while the Taichung family pocketed one of the scratch card's 1,200 available NT$1 million winnings.

According to the company, the Hsinchu family bought the scratcher from a shop close to the temple they visit every Lunar New Year's Eve.

The family's two children, a boy and a girl, apparently noticed a scratch card out of place compared to the others.

Their mother then bought it, but as it was her first time buying one, she thought they had been unsuccessful.

However, the shopkeeper discovered they hadn't scratched it properly while double-checking.

After doing so, it soon became apparent the family had won a NT$20 million top prize, Taiwan Lottery said.

Meanwhile, unlike the family in Hsinchu, Taiwan Lottery said the family in Taichung often bought scratch cards during the Lunar New Year.

According to the company, the family's elementary school daughter picked a card based on her school uniform number -- 19. After scratching the card, she thought they had won NT$100,000.

However, when checking, the shopkeeper told them they had actually won NT$1 million.

At a press conference before the Lunar New Year, Taiwan Lottery President Hsieh Chih-hung (謝志宏) announced that the 10 NT$20 million Super Red Envelope prizes were the largest in the lottery's history.

The company said that as of Wednesday, two scratchers had won the NT$20 million prize, while just 97 of the 1,200 NT$1 million prizes had been won.