Harshkumar Parikh of Sayreville, N.J., tried his luck on a $25 scratch-off ticket and won a $1 million prize.
Parikh bought his lucky Extreme Cash ticket from Ganesh Mart on East Webb Avenue in Burlington.
When Parikh arrived at lottery headquarters to collect his prize, he had a decision to make. He could choose to receive the prize as an annuity of $50,000 a year for 20 years or a lump sum of $600,000. He chose the annuity option of $50,000 a year and he received $35,512 on his first payment after state and federal tax withholdings.
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.