Robert Nesbitt Jr. of Kannapolis is the first player to win a $150,000 top prize playing the Silver & Gold Crossword scratch-off game.
Nesbitt’s good fortune happened after he bought the $5 ticket at the Speedway on Warren C Coleman Boulevard in Concord.
He claimed his prize Monday at lottery headquarters in Raleigh. After required state and federal tax withholdings, he took home $104,253.
The game launched in May with four top prizes of $150,000. Three top prizes remain.
Ticket sales from games like Silver & Gold Crossword made it possible for the lottery to raise more than $634 million for the state last year. For details on how lottery funds have made a difference in Rowan County, click on the “For Education” section of the lottery’s website.