Indiana Lottery's Space Invaders glitch leaves players out $100K

A new scratch-off game launched. A printing error crushed dreams. Now lawyers might be getting called.

When the house makes a mistake

The Hoosier Lottery launched its $5 Space Invaders Cash Invasion scratch-off on June 2. The premise was simple: match your symbols, win cash. One feature lets players with a rocket ship instantly win the prize printed next to it. Odds of winning anything are 1 in 3.

The grand prize was $100,000. It was supposed to go to three winners. That was the plan.

Within days, more than three people were showing up to claim $100,000. The tickets looked real. The rocket ships were right there. The prize amounts were printed clearly.

But, they weren't getting paid.

Meet the players

Mike Fields, a forklift driver from Indianapolis, bought four tickets. One showed a rocket ship next to $100,000. He scanned it. The scanner said $20. He drove to Hoosier Lottery headquarters anyway. Fields recalled for a local Fox affiliate:

They never told us 'no,' they just said we wouldn't be paid today, and no other information really, except that we would be informed by mail within 30 days.

He was offered $20.

Tyson Enochs had a similar experience. He bought a ticket, saw $100,000, and went back into the shop. He bought 20 more tickets. Then came the news. Enochs told the local ABC affiliate:

This would've been the biggest blessing for me and my family [sic]. My hopes just started shooting... and then everything just went right back to where it came from.

Both Fields and Enochs are considering legal action.

Glendon Jones drove to the Indianapolis headquarters to claim $2,500. He was told about the glitch and did not receive the winnings.

What the Hoosier Lottery said

The lottery pulled the game from shelves and posted a notice on its website. The statement read:

The $5 Space Invaders Cash Invasion Scratch-off launched with a technical issue. We halted the sales of the ticket to ensure the game experience upholds the integrity we strive to provide.

The lottery told WSBT 22 that the printing error displayed winnings "different from what was recorded on the lottery commission's official validation record." An investigation is underway.

Players who believe they won are being asked to fill out a protest form, mail in their ticket, and wait. The deadline is November 30, 2026. A hotline is available at 1-800-955-6886.

This has happened before

In 2022, a different Hoosier Lottery game malfunctioned. Every single ticket promised $5,000. That time, Hoosier paid up. Every winner got their $5,000. The total cost was $1.7 million.

This time around, the stakes are higher. What will the Indiana Lottery do?

That's the question players are waiting on.