After 18 years of buying lottery tickets, Lexington woman hits scratch-off jackpot
After playing the South Carolina Education Lottery since it began decades ago, a Lexington woman finally hit the jackpot.
That’s what she told lottery officials after recently winning the six-digit jackpot on a scratch-off game.
“I never guessed this would happen,” she said of winning $250,000, according to a news release from lottery officials.
After 18 years of buying lottery tickets, the woman said she was so intent on scratching off the hidden items on the game that it took her a few moments to notice she revealed a winner on her first attempt, according to the release.
Lottery officials said the first number she scratched off her $10 Wild Cash instant ticket uncovered a “stack of cash” symbol to win a quarter-of-a-million dollars, but she didn’t stop scratching the ticket.
“I thought ‘Yeah, right,’ so I kept scratching,” she said in the release.
Once finished, she looked over the completely scratched off card and the Lexington woman realized she had won the game’s top prize.
The woman’s name was not released because South Carolina is one of eight states — along with Delaware, Kansas, Georgia, Maryland, North Dakota, Ohio and Texas — that allow lottery winners to remain anonymous.
She won the jackpot on a scratch-off game, which she bought at at the Quick Stop #2 store on West Main Street in Lexington, according to the release. That’s near the junction with U.S. 378 and Flight Deck restaurant.
Lottery officials said the woman overcame 780,000-to-1 odds to win and claim one of the Wild Cash game’s top prizes. Two more of the game’s top prizes remain unclaimed, according to the release.
The winner knows how she plans to spend her newfound fortune, telling lottery officials she and her husband are going to travel the country and donate to their church.
“It’s an absolute blessing,” the woman said of the win she called “icing on the cake” as she and her husband plan for their retirement.
Quick Stop #2 received a commission of $2,500 for selling the winning ticket, according to the release.
BEHIND THE STORY
MOREThis 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 October 19, 2020 at 10:27 AM.
