A quick stop at a Statesboro corner store turned into a full-on celebration when a local woman scratched a $10 Jumbo Jumbo Bucks ticket and discovered she had just won $500,000. She bought the ticket at RACO Oil at the corner of Northside Drive and North Main Street, played it inside the store, and called her family right after realizing it was a winner. As of Tuesday afternoon, the Georgia Lottery had not yet received the ticket for verification.
Ketul Patel, who works at RACO, told reporters he did not catch the woman’s name but knows her as a regular. Within minutes of her excited reaction, he said, customers had packed the parking lot. Patel said she bought a single $10 Jumbo Jumbo Bucks scratch-off and scratched it right there in the store. Georgia Lottery spokeswoman Kimberly Lundy told reporters that no one had stepped forward with the ticket as of Tuesday afternoon and that the winner’s name will be released once the ticket is presented and verified, according to the Statesboro Herald.
How to claim a big scratch-off prize
The Georgia Lottery requires prizes over $601 to be claimed at Lottery headquarters or district offices, and prizes of $500,000 or more are generally paid within 5 to 10 business days after the claim is processed. Winners must provide photo identification and proof of their Social Security number. Instant tickets come with a 90-day claim window from the game’s expiration date, and Lottery officials urge winners to sign the back of their ticket before turning it in.
The Jumbo Jumbo Bucks game includes $500,000 prizes among its prize tiers, according to game listings and prize tables from Scratchcards.net. The Georgia Lottery site also outlines claim timelines and documentation requirements in more detail for anyone preparing to cash in a major win.
Lucky intersection keeps producing winners
The corner of Northside Drive and North Main Street has a bit of a lucky streak going. The RACO store reportedly sold a $1 million winning ticket three years ago, and a BP station across the street sold a $1 million ticket two years ago, part of a run of notable prizes in Bulloch County. The county also saw a huge Mega Millions moment in 2008, when a Portal couple claimed a $275 million jackpot. Those details were reported by WTOC.
If you think you are holding the winning ticket, officials advise signing the back, keeping it somewhere secure, and scheduling a prize-claim appointment or visiting a Georgia Lottery district office. The Lottery’s site lists a hotline and downloadable claim forms to help winners get ready. The Lottery requires photo ID and proof of Social Security number when paying prizes, and appointments can be made online. For more information see the Georgia Lottery.
