National

Lottery player tests his luck on $10 scratch-off — and wins big SC jackpot prize

A South Carolina man won a six-figure prize on a scratch-off game he didn’t plan on buying, lottery officials said.
A South Carolina man won a six-figure prize on a scratch-off game he didn’t plan on buying, lottery officials said. Photo by Giorgio Trovato via Unsplash

A South Carolina man didn’t plan on playing the lottery. Now, he’s “very happy” he did.

It was an act of spontaneity that won the Pee Dee Man a $300,000 prize, according to an April 4 news release from the South Carolina Education Lottery.

He stopped at a Cruizers IX gas station in Hartsville, saw the $10 Wild Cash Multiplier Extra Play game and bought a ticket on the spot.

“I didn’t go to the store for a ticket,” the man told South Carolina Education Lottery officials. “I saw the tickets and said give me #15.”

He scratched the ticket backward, from right to left, to reveal the $300,000 jackpot. The lucky winner beat odds of 1-in-740,000 to snag the top prize, according to the lottery’s website.

“It made me very happy,” the man told officials.

Hartsville is about a 70-mile drive northeast from downtown Columbia.

Many people can gamble or play games of chance without harm. However, for some, gambling is an addiction that can ruin lives and families.

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.

Read Next
Read Next
Read Next

This story was originally published April 4, 2025 at 2:04 PM with the headline "Lottery player tests his luck on $10 scratch-off — and wins big SC jackpot prize."

Tanasia Kenney
Sun Herald
Tanasia is a service journalism reporter at the Charlotte Observer | CharlotteFive, working remotely from Atlanta, Georgia. She covers restaurant openings/closings in Charlotte and statewide explainers for the NC Service Journalism team. She’s been with McClatchy since 2020.
Get one year of unlimited digital access for $159.99
#ReadLocal

Only 44¢ per day

SUBSCRIBE NOW