Charlotte's own Christian Smith became the unexpected envy of his town this week after scratching his way to a $1 million jackpot. In a story almost too good to be true, Smith's win came courtesy of the North Carolina Education Lottery's newest game, 50X The Cash. The scratch-off tickets debuted earlier in the week, and the lucky purchase was made at a Sam’s Mart on Johnston Road, as reported by WBTV.
The excitement must have been palpable when Smith revealed that he'd scored the first of six top prizes offered by the game. Fortune had kissed him with a decision to make: to slowly take an annuity of $50,000 over 20 years or to immediately cash out with a $600,000 lump sum. Smith opted for the immediate gratification, taking home a hefty $430,000 after taxes, WCNC detailed. What's left now are five more pending windfalls just waiting to be claimed by potential future millionaires.
While Christian Smith might be the fresh toast of Charlotte, February seems to be showering North Carolinians with good fortune. Just recently, at least two other residents from the state bagged themselves prizes worth $1 million or up, including one elated winner from Alexander County who walked away with a staggering $5 million win, according to WBTV.
It appears that the allure of easy money knows no bounds with new lottery games continuing to draw in hopefuls looking to turn their ordinary days extraordinary. For Christian Smith, his routine stop at Sam's Mart proved to be anything but when it led to a $430,503 payout. "He is the first to win the $1 million playing the 50X The Cash," as per QC News report.
