In a twist that sounds like a made-for-TV movie premise but is actually just plain luck, Robert Moore, a Gaston County man, hit the jackpot during what was supposed to be a mundane trip to Walmart. Sent on a vegetable-fetching errand by his wife, Moore returned not only with greens but also with a $2 million scratch-off ticket win. Speaking of the experience, Moore recounted his disbelief, "She said ‘You need to come in here,’" after his wife took a turn at scratching the ticket, as he told QC News.
A retired veteran, Moore purchased the $20 Win Big ticket at the Walmart on Dallas Cherryville Road, as reported by NCLottery.com. The lottery, which launched last month, features three $2 million top prizes—Moore claimed the first. While several winners are surely still out there, holding on to dreams of riches, Moore finds himself wrestling with a more tangible reality: an $858,006 net prize, having opted for the lump sum payment over the annuity.
When he arrived at the North Carolina Education Lottery headquarters to claim his prize, Moore chose the lump sum of $1.2 million which, after the necessary subtractions for taxes, left him with just over $858,000. WBTV reports that Moore, who had just purchased a new truck the week before, plans to use part of his winnings to pay it off.
Despite the rare good fortune, life goes on—the Win Big game persists with two top prizes of $2 million and five $100,000 prizes yet to be claimed.
