A dozen dreams come true stories: lottery success in South Carolina
These articles describe South Carolinians who won big through lottery games. Each winner experienced a sudden turnaround after buying a ticket. The stories highlight a mix of scratch-off and draw games. Winners purchased their tickets at local stores, gas stations and supermarkets.
One man in Greenville won $200,000, then used the moment to propose to his girlfriend. A woman in the Upstate bought groceries and ended up taking home a $140,000 jackpot. A historic $1.068 million prize was won on Johns Island with a Palmetto Cash 5 ticket. Another man in Summerville turned a small win into a $200,000 windfall when a clerk suggested "one more ticket."
A woman in Simpsonville picked up a $500,000 scratch-off grand prize. Some winners came close to the grand prize but still earned significant sums, like the person who received $150,000 from a Powerball ticket bought at a Central gas station. In each case, the winners faced long odds but secured life-changing prizes. Some chose to stay anonymous, while others shared their plans, like helping family or buying a new house. The stories show how regular activities, like grocery runs or quick stops, sometimes ended with a sudden fortune.
Read the stories below:
NO. 1: LOTTERY WINNER TEXTS HER DAUGHTER IN DISBELIEF. ‘YOU MIGHT NEED TO SEND AN AMBULANCE’
The huge South Carolina prize left the mom “overcome with joy.” | Published January 12, 2024 | Read Full Story by Simone Jasper
NO. 2: LOTTERY PLAYER WINS LIFE-CHANGING PRIZE — THEN PROPOSES TO GIRLFRIEND. ‘A BLESSING’
The South Carolina man won big on a scratch-off ticket. | Published April 19, 2024 | Read Full Story by Olivia Lloyd
NO. 3: LOTTERY PLAYER CASHING IN SMALL WIN TRIES OUT ONE MORE TICKET. IT MADE HIM ‘ECSTATIC’
The South Carolina player won the $5 game’s top prize, lottery officials said. | Published September 20, 2024 | Read Full Story by Lauren Liebhaber
NO. 4: LOTTERY PLAYER WAKES HUSBAND AFTER GROCERY RUN LEADS TO HUGE PRIZE IN SC. ‘DEBT FREE’
“It is wonderful,” the Upstate woman said. | Published February 6, 2025 | Read Full Story by Tanasia Kenney
NO. 5: SOUTH CAROLINA MAN CALLED STATE’S ‘LUCKIEST’ LOTTERY PLAYER AFTER HIS LATEST JACKPOT
The odds of the man winning the his latest five-figure jackpot were 1-in-660,000. | Published March 6, 2025 | Read Full Story by Noah Feit
NO. 6: WOMAN DIDN’T FEEL LUCKY BUT BOUGHT SC LOTTERY TICKET & WON GAME’S GRAND PRIZE
The odds of winning the six-figure jackpot were 1-in-1,440,000. | Published April 10, 2025 | Read Full Story by Noah Feit
NO. 7: LOTTERY PLAYER HAD WINNING FEELING AND NOW THE SC WOMAN IS A MILLIONAIRE
A Lowcountry woman had a winning feeling when she bought a scratch-off lottery ticket, and her premonition was accurate, according to South Carolina Education Lottery officials. | Published July 31, 2025 | Read Full Story by Noah Feit
NO. 8: MIDLANDS WOMAN WINS $2M PLAYING SC LOTTERY SCRATCH OFF GAME
A Midlands woman won $2 million after buying a scratch-off lottery ticket at a convenience store she was visiting for the first time. | Published August 1, 2025 | Read Full Story by Joseph Bustos
NO. 9: LOTTERY PLAYER SCRATCHES $5 TICKET TO REVEAL BIG SC PRIZE. NOW, HE WANTS MORE
A lucky lottery player turned his $5 scratch-off into a six-figure prize, according to the South Carolina Education Lottery. | Published August 1, 2025 | Read Full Story by Tanasia Kenney
NO. 10: MAN IN MIDLANDS WINS TOP PRIZE ON GAMECOCKS-THEMED SCRATCH-OFF TICKET
A $5 scratch-off ticket won a man in the Midlands $200,000. | Published August 15, 2025 | Read Full Story by Lucy Valeski
NO. 11: WIFE THOUGHT HUSBAND WON $500 SC LOTTERY PRIZE. BUT SHE WAS MISSING A FEW ZEROS
Alternate share: | Published August 15, 2025 | Read Full Story by Simone Jasper
NO. 12: ‘GOOD FEELING’ DROVE MAN TO PLAY SAME NUMBERS ON 162 SC LOTTERY TICKETS. ALL WON
It’s common for lottery aficionados to have lucky numbers, but one South Carolina went to extremes when he purchased 162 tickets with the same four digits. | Published August 22, 2025 | Read Full Story by Mark Price
The summary above was drafted with the help of AI tools and edited by journalists in our News division. All stories listed were reported, written and edited by McClatchy journalists.