A South Carolina man stopped for an energy drink — and bought a lottery ticket that “gave him quite a lift,” officials said.
The man was getting a “caffeine fix” when a scratch-off ticket caught his eye, according to the South Carolina Education Lottery.
“Something told me to play that ticket,” said the man, who discovered the scratch-off was worth $300,000.
The lottery player followed his gut at the Cruizers store on U.S. Highway 76 in Marion, a roughly 45-mile drive northwest from Myrtle Beach. While there, he tried his luck on a $10 ticket for the Cash Payout scratch-off game, lottery officials wrote on their website and in a May 3 news release.
It turns out, the man beat 1-in-984,000 odds to win the game’s top prize. He plans to treat himself and other people after scoring the windfall, which totaled $208,500 after taxes, spokesperson Holli Armstrong told McClatchy News in an email.
“It’s a miracle,” said the lottery winner, who wasn’t identified in the news release.
It wasn’t the first time someone hit the jackpot after having a lucky feeling. Another South Carolina lottery player trusted her intuition and “ran out of the store” with a winning ticket, McClatchy News reported in April.
Many people can gamble or play games of chance without harm. However, for some, gambling is an addiction that can ruin lives and families.
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.
Powerball player wins big in SC. What she did next left her family ‘stunned’
Lottery player shocked by big win during lunch break in SC. ‘Told my boss to pinch me’