Columbia couple calls accountant first before cashing in six-digit lottery jackpot
A Columbia couple did not go wild after learning they had won a six-figure jackpot on a scratch-off game, according to the South Carolina Education Lottery.
Nor did they rush to cash in the $200,000 winning ticket, lottery officials said in a news release.
The couple took a more cautious approach and met with an accountant to discuss their plans for the prize money, according to the release.
“At first we didn’t know what to do,” the wife said in the release. “We wanted to do the right thing and proceed with common sense.”
The winners did not reveal any plans for their newfound fortune.
“We’ve worked hard our whole life and this is wonderful,” the wife said.
The couples names were not released because South Carolina is one of eight states — along with Delaware, Georgia, Kansas, Maryland, North Dakota, Ohio and Texas — that allow lottery winners to remain anonymous.
The woman said she was running errands when she bought the $5 Cash Blowout ticket at the Kangaroo Express #3837 at 941 Longtown Road in Columbia, according to the release. That’s about 2 miles from Ridge View High School on Hard Scrabble Road.
Later, she sat down at her kitchen table and revealed the prize, and called her husband over for a second look at the ticket, lottery officials said.
“It was a surreal moment,” the woman said.
Lottery officials said the odds of winning the jackpot were 1-in-660,000 to claim a top prize in the $200,000 Riches game. Two top prizes remain in the game, according to lottery officials.
The Kangaroo Express #3837 received a commission of $2,000 for selling the winning ticket, according to the release.
This story was originally published March 25, 2021 at 11:15 AM.
