Tony Horton of Zebulon took a chance on a $5 scratch-off and won a $250,000 prize.
Horton bought his lucky 20X The Cash ticket from R&R Food Mart on Brantleytown Road in Zebulon.
He collected his prize at lottery headquarters Tuesday and, after required state and federal tax withholdings, took home $178,126.
Ticket sales from scratch-off games make it possible for the lottery to raise $2.5 million a day on average for education. For details on how $64.1 raised by the lottery made a difference in Wake County last year, visit www.nclottery.com and click on the “Impact” section.