Woman wins $1K on lottery ticket then buys another game & gets much bigger prize
A Midlands woman wasn’t satisfied with winning a $1,000 jackpot on a South Carolina Education Lottery game, so she bought another scratch-off ticket, officials said Thursday in a news release.
Her decision paid off in a big way. The woman picked another winning ticket, this time capturing the game’s $200,000 grand prize, according to the release.
The winner, who screamed when she realized she’d just landed a six-figure payday, said the second and bigger win “was very exciting,” lottery officials said.
She bought the winning Star Power game for $5 at the Quick Corner gas station/convenience store on West Liberty Street in Sumter.
The woman didn’t divulge any plans for spending the newfound windfall.
“I feel more comfortable,” she said after cashing in the big win.
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.
While she didn’t want to say that she’s on a winning streak, the woman said it’s likely that she’ll be buying more Star Power tickets in the future.
The winner overcame 760,000-to-1 odds to capture the game’s jackpot, according to the release. This was the first of the game’s three top prizes to be claimed, officials said.
The Quick Corner in Sumter received a commission of $2,000 for selling the claimed ticket.
Players can enter Star Power tickets for a chance to win trip to an iHeartRadio music event of their choice.
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This story was originally published April 16, 2026 at 11:11 AM with the headline "Woman wins $1K on lottery ticket then buys another game & gets much bigger prize."