Player said ‘let it be the big one’ before winning SC lottery game’s grand prize
South Carolina Education Lottery officials said a person who bought a scratch-off ticket had a thought before revealing the game’s results — “let it be the big one.”
That’s exactly what the player discovered when winning the game’s $500,000 grand prize, officials said in a news release.
Making the win even more remarkable, the Midlands player gave a clerk at the Carolina Pantry on Sumter Highway in Manning $10, and asked the employee to pick out a ticket, according to the release.
The clerk selected a Shimmering Riches scratch-off game, officials said.
Then came the wish and turn of good fortune resulting in the jackpot.
“I fell to my knees,” the winner told lottery officials. “This has changed my life.”
The winner did not say how the newfound windfall will be spent.
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.
One of the Shimmering Riches scratch-off game’s five $500,000 top prizes remains unclaimed, according to the release.
The odds of winning the six-figure top prize in the scratch-off game were 1-in-1,128,000, officials said.
Carolina Pantry in Manning received a commission of $5,000 for selling the claimed ticket, according to the release.
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This story was originally published January 19, 2025 at 4:49 PM with the headline "Player said ‘let it be the big one’ before winning SC lottery game’s grand prize."
