It wasn’t stacks of cash inside a briefcase, like you might see in a movie. It was actually an unscratched lottery ticket that turned out to be a $500,000 grand prize winner, South Carolina Education Lottery officials said in a news release.
A Midlands man rode around with the ticket for two days after buying it, before realizing he had hit the jackpot, according to the release.
The six-figure winning scratch-off game was purchased for $10 at The Country Peddler gas station/convenience store at 367 Wilson Road in Newberry, officials said.
“It was a surprise,” the winner told lottery officials of ultimately realizing he had a grand prize winning game.
The winner didn’t wait anywhere close as long as two days to cash in his prize, according to the release.
The man didn’t share his plans for the newfound windfall, only saying he will “spend it wisely. It will enhance my life.”
The winner will be allowed to retain some privacy, as South Carolina is one of 11 states — along with Arizona, Delaware, Georgia, Kansas, Maryland, New Jersey, North Dakota, Ohio, Texas and Virginia — that allow lottery winners to remain anonymous.
The odds of winning the $500,000 top prize in the 100X The Cash game were 1-in-960,000, according to the release. Three of the game’s five top prize-winning tickets remain unclaimed, according to the lottery website.
The Country Peddler received a commission of $5,000 for selling the claimed ticket, according to the release.