Harold McDowell of Elizabethtown plays scratch-off games for the anticipation of a big win but didn’t anticipate the $200,000 surprise he was in for.

McDowell purchased the Win It All instant ticket from Community Mart on East Broad Street in his hometown.

“I buy them all the time but I don’t scratch them expecting to win,” said McDowell. “I like the element of surprise.”

This time, the surprise turned out to be a good one. He scratched the ticket halfway off, saw the first three zeroes, and then stopped to get a glass of water before finishing the rest.

McDowell claimed his prize Friday afternoon at lottery headquarters in Raleigh. After required state and federal tax withholdings, he took home $141,501.

“I want to pay off all of my bills and have a little extra to fall back on,” said McDowell. “It feels good to not have that burden.”

The Win It All game started in December with six top prizes of $200,000. As of Monday, three $200,000 prizes remain to be claimed.

Players can create a Lucke-Rewards account online and add instant tickets like “Win It All” for points. They can then use their points to enter weekly and monthly drawings for cash and other prizes.

Ticket sales from games like “Win It All” made it possible for the lottery to raise more than $650 million a year for education. For details on how $2.2 million in lottery funds made a difference in Bladen County last year, click on the “Impact” section of the lottery’s website.