Man stops for a drink and leaves with big lottery prize in SC. ‘It was surreal’
A stop for something to drink proved lucrative for a South Carolina lottery player.
In the “spur of the moment,” the thirsty man bought a $10 Money Madness Extra Play scratch-off game and a drink at the Countryside Easy Mart in Seneca, according to a July 18 news release from the South Carolina Education Lottery.
His ticket hid a top prize: $500,000.
‘It was surreal,” he told officials of the moment he scratched the winning ticket.
The lucky player beat odds of 1 in 1,152,000 to win the jackpot prize, the lottery said.
He didn’t say how he plans to spend his winnings but told officials he’s “been able to help some people.”
“I’m still working and doing what I normally would,” the man added.
One top prize worth $500,000 remains in the Money Madness Extra Play game, lottery officials said.
Seneca is about a 140-mile drive northwest from downtown Columbia.
This story was originally published July 18, 2025 at 2:30 PM with the headline "Man stops for a drink and leaves with big lottery prize in SC. ‘It was surreal’."