Not a winning story, just a ticket-care warning. Heat made part of an old draw ticket hard to read and the scanner did not like it. If this happens, should a player take it to a retailer or contact the state lottery first?
Stop handling it more than needed. Keep the ticket flat and dry, do not laminate it, tape over printing or try to darken the barcode. Photograph both sides and save the purchase details, draw date and retailer if you still have them.
Then contact the lottery that issued the ticket and follow its damaged-ticket instructions. Some lotteries can investigate a partly readable original, but validation rules vary and a photo normally does not replace the paper ticket. A retailer scan error is not a final prize decision, and no one can promise payment until the issuing lottery validates it.