‘Highly secret formula’ leads lottery player to jackpot win in SC. ‘It was a surprise’
.jpg "A South Carolina man hit a lottery jackpot after he changed his routine, officials said.")
A South Carolina lottery player used a “highly secret formula” to pick his numbers — and it paid off big time.
The man hit the jackpot after the five numbers on his ticket matched those chosen in a recent drawing, the S.C. Education Lottery said in a Jan. 12 news release.
“I use a highly secret formula,” the Charleston-area winner said jokingly.
It turns out, there wasn’t too much scientific thought behind his method.
“The player picked his own numbers at random, meaning there was not any special meaning behind the numbers he picked to play,” Holli Armstrong, a lottery spokesperson, told McClatchy News in a Jan. 16 email.
The lottery player won big after he went to a Circle K convenience store in Folly Beach. Though the store isn’t part of his typical lottery routine, he decided to buy a ticket for the $1 Palmetto Cash 5 game.
Because the man spent an extra $1 on the power-up option, his prize tripled to $300,000. The man’s ticket beat 1-in-1.4 million odds to score the jackpot prize, according to game rules.
“It was a surprise,” the lucky ticket holder told lottery officials.
The winner, who wasn’t identified publicly, kept $208,500 after taxes. He said he didn’t win enough to retire, so he will save his prize money and “continue to try my luck.”
BEHIND THE STORY
MOREWhen gambling is more than a game
Gambling is designed to be a source of entertainment.
If you or a loved one shows signs of gambling addiction, you can seek help by calling the national gambling hotline at 1-800-522-4700 or visiting the National Council on Problem Gambling website.
This story was originally published January 16, 2024 at 8:42 AM with the headline "‘Highly secret formula’ leads lottery player to jackpot win in SC. ‘It was a surprise’."
