A tradition of buying lottery tickets with her husband turned into a $1 million win for Elisa Gutierrez of Charlotte.

“We’ve bought them every Saturday since we met three years ago,” Gutierrez said.

And this Saturday wasn’t any different. She bought a 50X The Cash ticket with her husband. Once he started scratching, the moment became anything but ordinary.

“My husband said, ‘I think you won $1 million,’” Gutierrez said. “I was like, ‘Oh my God.’”

She claimed her prize Monday at lottery headquarters in Raleigh. She had the choice of taking a $1 million annuity that has 20 payments of $50,000 a year or a lump sum of $600,000. She chose the lump sum and after federal and state tax withholdings received $415,503. She says she plans to use the money to pay bills and get a new home.

Gutierrez bought the $10 ticket at the PC Mart on The Plaza in Charlotte.
50X The Cash launched in February with six $1 million top prizes. One top prize remains.

Ticket sales from games like 50X The Cash made it possible for the lottery to raise more than $600 million dollars for the state last year. For details on how more than $352.6 million in lottery funds has made a difference in Mecklenburg County, click on the “For Education” section of the lottery’s website.