In Gastonia, North Carolina, Pablo Bustamante got lucky while scratching lottery tickets and won a $1 million top prize. He won with a $10 50X The Cash ticket, becoming one of the few big winners since the game started earlier this year. Bustamante bought the ticket at Triple E Express & Grill on Bessemer City Road, according to WBTV.
Winning a lottery prize often comes with tough choices. Winners can choose between long-term annuity payments or a one-time lump sum. When Bustamante claimed his prize on Wednesday, he faced this decision. While the lump sum is smaller upfront, many winners choose it, and Bustamante opted for the lump sum of $600,000, as per WCNC.
Bustamante, after confronting the requisite gauntlet of state and federal tax withholdings, was ultimately left with a not-too-shabby $429,003 to call his own, according to lottery headquarters via NCLottery.com. The 50X The Cash game, which brought Bustamante his fortune, has been successful since it started in February. It offers six $1 million top prizes, and according to lottery officials, only one top prize remains for another lucky player, according to WCNC.
