Tom Scott of Statesville said dreams of winning a Powerball jackpot led him to a $100,000 scratch-off prize.
The retired quality control manager’s good fortune started the Saturday before Christmas when he went to get a Powerball ticket.
“I was a minute too late to get a ticket,” Scott said. “The clerk told me they had just stopped selling tickets for the drawing so I figured I’d get a scratch-off ticket instead.”
Scott asked for a Big Money Playbook.
“I won $30 on that one,” Scott said. “So I still thought I was pretty lucky, even if I didn’t get a Powerball ticket.”
The next week, Scott stopped at the Circle K on Safriet Road in Statesville and decided to try his luck with the Big Money Playbook one more time.
“At first I thought I only won $10,000,” Scott said. “But then I scratched off the multiplier and realized I won $100,000. I started shaking like a leaf. It’s still hard to believe that I won.”
Scott claimed his prize Wednesday at lottery headquarters in Raleigh. After required state and federal tax withholdings, he took home $70,756. He plans to use most of the money for retirement, but said he also wants to take a trip with his wife.
“We really enjoy golf,” Scott said. “So there’s a good chance we’ll go to Florida to get a few rounds in.”
The Big Money Playbook launched in December with three top prizes of $1 million and four $100,000 prizes. Two $1 million prizes and one $100,000 prize remain. The $20 playbook has six pages of unique games. This is the first time the lottery has offered a playbook with multiple games.
Ticket sales from the Big Money Playbook make it possible for the lottery to raise more than $650 million a year for education. For details on how lottery funds have made a difference in all of North Carolina’s 100 counties, click on the “Impact” section of the lottery’s website.