Leticia Flores Alvarado of Greenwood, S.C. tried her luck on a $10 scratch-off ticket and became the first person to win $1 million in the 50X The Cash game.
Alvarado bought her lucky ticket from the BP Food Mart on West Sugar Creek Road in Charlotte. When she arrived at lottery headquarters Friday to collect her prize, she had a decision to make. She could choose to receive the prize as an annuity of $50,000 over 20 years or a lump sum of $600,000. She chose the lump-sum amount of $600,000 and, after required state and federal tax withholdings, took home $426,063.
The 50X The Cash game launched in February with eight top prizes of $1 million. Seven $1 million prizes remain to be claimed.
Ticket sales from scratch-off games make it possible for the lottery to raise more than $900 million per year for education. For details on how money raised by the lottery made a difference in North Carolina in 2021, visit www.nclottery.com and click on the “Impact” section.