Man thought he won $125 playing South Carolina lottery — but he left off a few zeros

A Moncks Corner man’s lottery prize turned out bigger than he thought it was — much bigger.

Scratching the Jackpot Cash ticket he bought at the Everyday Spot on S. Hwy 52, the anonymous winner believed they had won only $125, according to South Carolina Education Lottery officials.

He put the scratch-off down next to him in the passenger seat but, luckily, gave it a closer second look.

“I picked it back up, scratched it some more and saw the zeros,” he said. Three of them.

Trying to keep calm, he breathed deeply, put his car in drive and immediately headed to the Lottery Claims Center in Columbia to pick up his $125,000 prize.

“I’ve dreamed about this happening,” he told officials. “It was shocking and exciting.”

His odds of winning were 1-in-660,000, according to a lottery release.

There is one top prize remaining in the Jackpot Cash game.

The Everyday Spot earned a $1,250 commission for selling the winning ticket.