Lottery player lands big win on $5 scratch-off in NC. Now he’ll ‘retire a lot sooner’

A 60-year-old Georgia man can now “retire a lot sooner” after winning big with a scratch-off, North Carolina officials said.

Dewayne Townsend of Canton, Georgia, an avid scratcher, stopped at a convenience store in Warne near the state line where he works, according to Sept. 29 news release by the North Carolina Education Lottery.

He didn’t know the $5 Carolina Panthers scratch-off he bought would land him a $200,000 prize, officials said.

“I go to that store all the time,” Townsend said in the release.

Townsend, who said he’s worked since he was “probably 14 years old,” plans to “retire a whole lot sooner now,” officials said.

“It makes me feel good. Real good,” Townsend said in the release. “It will make life so much easier for me now.”

After claiming his prize at lottery headquarters, Townsend walked away with $142,501, officials said.

After saving some money for his retirement, Townsend plans on putting the rest toward paying off his house, lottery officials said.

This win means there are four Carolina Panthers tickets with a $200,000 prize left to be claimed, the release said.

Warne is about 220 miles west of Charlotte.

This story was originally published September 29, 2023 at 2:45 PM with the headline "Lottery player lands big win on $5 scratch-off in NC. Now he’ll ‘retire a lot sooner’."