Two men with same name win $1 million prize over casino error

Kevin Lewis became a million dollars richer over the weekend in Cincinnati.

And thanks to a casino blunder, another Kevin Lewis also become a millionaire.

Before a crowded room and cameras it was announced at the Horseshoe Casino in Cincinnati that Kevin Lewis was the second winner of three $1 million promotional giveaways.

"When I heard my name I said, ‘God finally gave me a big win’ . . . a lot of screaming and happiness, being at the right place, at the right time," Kevin L. Lewis the 52-year-old Cincinnati native told local ABC TV station WCPO.

After the photographs and jubilation were over, the casino learned it had made a mistake. The rightful winner, Kevin Lewis, 50 and also a Cincinnati native, was at home.

“This was our blunder,” Horseshoe Cincinnati Senior Vice President and General Manager Kevin Kline told the television station.

In this case, the million-dollar error worked in the favor of both men. Each will be awarded a million-dollar prize, and the casino vowed to step up verification of winners before the next event.

“There were a lot of similarities between the two gentlemen that led to confusion on our end,” casino spokeswoman Jennifer Kulczycki told Cincinnati.com, adding, “It was human error.”

The casino told the local station it practices two levels of verification for prize winners, but it was only after the final identity check that the mistake was caught.

And despite already awarding the allotted prize money for the giveaway, the casino said that it will still hold the third of three planned million-dollar drawings, as originally promised in September.

And if you're the lucky winner, make sure to bring a lot of identification.