Ronald Pierce of Charlotte tried his luck on a $30 scratch-off and pocketed a $1 million prize.
Pierce bought his lucky Millionaire Maker ticket from the Food Lion on East Roosevelt Boulevard in Monroe.
When Pierce arrived at lottery headquarters Friday to collect his prize, he had a decision to make. He could choose to receive the prize as an annuity of $50,000 over 20 years or a lump sum of $600,000. He chose the lump-sum amount of $600,000 and, after required state and federal tax withholdings, took home $426,069.
Ticket sales from scratch-off games make it possible for the lottery to raise more than $2.5 million a day on average for education. For details on how $62.6 million raised by the lottery made a difference in Mecklenburg County in 2021, visit www.nclottery.com and click on the “Impact” section.