A Marine Corps and Navy veteran’s last-minute decision to buy a $10 scratch-off in the North Carolina Education Lottery netted him the first $ 1 million prize in a new game.
Ronnie Woods, 66, of Gastonia purchased his lucky 50X The Cash ticket from a local convenience store, according to the NCEL.
“I was going to walk out the door but something told me to just go ahead and get it,” he said.
Woods claimed his prize at lottery headquarters in Raleigh on Feb. 8, the same day he purchased the ticket.
“You never know what’s around the corner,” he said. “I just want to live in peace and enjoy life.”
Woods said he called his son after he won to tell him the good news.
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“I asked him, ‘What would you say if I told you I won a million dollars?’” Woods recalled. “He said, ‘That’s a good joke.’ So I took a picture and sent it to him.”
Woods had a decision to make when he claimed his prize. He could choose to receive his prize as an annuity of $50,000 over 20 years or a lump sum of $600,000.
He chose the lump-sum amount of $600,000 and, after required state and federal tax withholdings, took home $427,503.
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Woods plans to use his winnings to pay off his mortgage and do some home renovations.
The 50X The Cash game debuted this week with six top prizes of $1 million. Five $1 million prizes remain to be claimed, according to lottery officials.
Reach Julia LeDoux at Julia@connectingvets.com.