Stop for gas turns to riches as SC woman spends change on winning lottery ticket
A South Carolina woman was stopping for gas when she became much richer.
The woman had change after filling her tank, so she spent that money on a scratch-off ticket. And when she went to her car, she discovered the ticket was worth $200,000, the S.C. Education Lottery said March 24 in a news release.
“My heart was fluttering,” the winner told officials after she claimed her big prize. “I’m still kind of overwhelmed.”
The woman’s luck started when she went to a Power Trac store in Anderson, roughly 30 miles southwest of Greenville. While at the business, officials said she played the Scenic South Carolina game.
The ticket that the woman bought was created to celebrate the 20-year anniversary of the lottery. And it turns out, her scratch-off won the first six-figure prize in the game’s two-decade history.
The lucky winner told officials she long felt that she would win the lottery but was shocked when it happened.
“I thought, ‘What? Not me,’” said the woman, who beat 1-in-750,000 odds to win big.
The winner, who said she didn’t want to be identified publicly, kept $138,000 after taxes, lottery spokesperson Holli Armstrong told McClatchy News in an email.
It’s not the first time that a gas station turned into a memorable spot for a South Carolina lottery player.
In September, officials said a man was pumping gas when he discovered he hit the jackpot.
More recently, a man switching up his routine bought a winning ticket at a gas station that he never visits, McClatchy News reported in January.
BEHIND THE STORY
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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 March 25, 2022 at 7:41 AM with the headline "Stop for gas turns to riches as SC woman spends change on winning lottery ticket."
