South Carolina

Second chance purchase pays off big for man who won SC lottery game’s grand prize

Rather than leave a convenience store empty handed, a Midlands man decided to buy a second lottery ticket after he didn’t win anything on the first game that he purchased, South Carolina Education Lottery officials said in a news release.

That decision paid off — in a big way — as the second scratch-off game the man bought was a grand prize winner resulting in a $300,000 jackpot, according to the release.

“It surprised me,” the man told lottery officials of winning, after his decision to pivot from one scratch-off game and then buying the Max Money ticket.

What turned out to be the six-figure winning scratch-off game was sold for $10 at the Corner Stop gas station/convenience store at 283 South Guignard Drive in Sumter, officials said.

The man said the first thing he did with his newfound windfall was pay off his house, according to the release. He didn’t reveal any other plans for spending the money.

The winner will be allowed to retain some privacy, as South Carolina is one of 11 states — along with Arizona, Delaware, Georgia, Kansas, Maryland, New Jersey, North Dakota, Ohio, Texas and Virginia — that allow lottery winners to remain anonymous.

The odds of winning the $300,000 top prize in the Max Money game were 1-in-936,000, according to the release. One of the game’s five top prize-winning tickets remains unclaimed, according to the lottery website.

The Corner Stop store received a commission of $3,000 for selling the claimed ticket, according to the release.

BEHIND THE STORY

MORE

This is a breaking news story

In a breaking news situation, facts can be unclear and the situation may still be developing. The State is trying to get important information to the public as quickly and accurately as possible. This story will be updated as more information becomes available, and some information in this story may change as the facts become clearer. Refresh this page later for more updated information.

This story was originally published February 11, 2024 at 2:21 PM with the headline "Second chance purchase pays off big for man who won SC lottery game’s grand prize."

Noah Feit
The State
Noah Feit is a Real Time reporter with The State focused on breaking news, public safety and trending news. The award-winning journalist has worked for multiple newspapers since starting his career in 1999. Support my work with a digital subscription
Get unlimited digital access
#ReadLocal

Try 1 month for $1

CLAIM OFFER