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A man in North Carolina who has never won more than $100 playing the lottery is celebrating a massive win after a scratch-off ticket landed him a six-figure prize.
Franklin Bracey, of Lincolntown, recently had a craving for a hot dog so he made his way to the Jerry's One Stop on N.C. 27 East in Iron Station, according to a release from the NC Education Lottery. While there, he picked up a $10 50X The Cash lottery ticket, quickly learning that he scored one of the game's $1 million prizes.
"I scratched it in my car. My first thought was just, 'No way,'" he said. He waited until he got home to share the exciting news with his girlfriend, recalling that he had to make sure she braced herself first. "First thing I said was, 'Baby, sit down.'"
Bracey made his way to lottery headquarters to collect his prize, which he could accept either as an annuity of $50,000 each year over the course of 20 years or as a one time, lump sum payment of $600,000. He ultimately chose the latter, taking home an incredible $429,003 after all required state and federal tax withholdings. Lottery officials state that the Lincoln County man plans to invest his winnings.
"I've never won anything over $100 before," he said, adding, "It blew my mind."
According to the lottery website, the 50X The Cash game launched in February with six top prizes of $1 million. Following Bracey's win, four prizes remain to be claimed.