Lottery player thought he won $1,000 on NC ticket — but he was missing some zeroes
A North Carolina lottery player thought he won $1,000 — then discovered his ticket was worth much more.
Gary Lewis was checking his scratch-off when he decided to take a second glance, the N.C. Education Lottery said Tuesday in a news release.
“I looked at it like, ‘Is that $1,000?’” Lewis said as he remembered the lucky moment. “But then I looked again and I said, ‘No, that’s $100,000!’ It surprised me.”
The unexpected prize came after Lewis stopped at a convenience store. When the lottery ticket he wanted was unavailable, officials said he decided to spend $20 on a scratch-off at Single Stop Clyde, a business roughly 25 miles southwest of Asheville.
“It’s a good thing they were sold out,” Lewis told the N.C. Education Lottery after the ticket he bought won big in the 100X the Cash game.
Lewis, who lives in Haywood County, got to keep $70,756 after taxes. He plans to use the money to pay bills and help his family, according to the lottery’s news release.
He’s not the first lottery player to think he won a much smaller amount at first.
In April, officials said a South Carolina woman figured she scored $300 — but hadn’t finished scratching off her ticket to reveal a bigger prize.
Last year, a North Carolina lottery player was in a similar situation when the ticket he thought was worth $100 actually scored him a $100,000 prize, McClatchy News reported.
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Gambling is designed to be a source of entertainment.
If you or a loved one shows signs of gambling addiction, you can seek help by calling the national gambling hotline at 1-800-522-4700 or visiting the National Council on Problem Gambling website.
This story was originally published June 29, 2021 at 3:19 PM with the headline "Lottery player thought he won $1,000 on NC ticket — but he was missing some zeroes."
