A quick stop for a $10 MONOPOLY® scratch-off at a Chapel Hill gas station turned into a seven-figure surprise for Joey Bass, who just scored a $1 million top prize from the North Carolina Education Lottery.
Bass, of Chapel Hill, claimed his winnings at lottery headquarters and went for the lump-sum option. That decision converted the $1 million prize into a $600,000 cash payout, and after required state and federal tax withholdings, he walked away with $432,063 in hand.
He bought the lucky ticket at the Petro Mart on U.S. 15-501 North in Chapel Hill, then finalized his claim last Friday in Raleigh. The jackpot is one of several big hits available in the MONOPOLY scratch-off series that rolled out late last year.
According to CBS17, Bass paid $10 for the ticket and later presented the winner at the lottery’s claim center to secure the top prize. Reporter Matthew Sockol notes that the lottery’s prize structure offered the choice between annuity payments and a single cash option, and that the standard withholdings trimmed the payout to the net amount Bass actually received.
Where the Ticket Was Bought
The winning ticket came from the Petro Mart on U.S. 15-501 North in Chapel Hill, listed at that corridor’s address in local business directories such as MapQuest. That listing lines up with the retailer identified in coverage of Bass’s windfall.
About the MONOPOLY Scratch-Off
The $10 MONOPOLY® scratch-off debuted in November 2025 and was stocked with multiple hefty top prizes, including four separate $1 million awards. Game details and current prize status from the NC Education Lottery show that several of those top prizes are still unclaimed, which puts Bass in the relatively small club of early big winners from the game’s rollout.
How Winners Claim and What They Actually Get
Prizes of this size have to be claimed in person at a regional claim center or directly at lottery headquarters, and winners can pick either a 20-year annuity or a one-time cash option. CBS17 reports that Bass chose the $600,000 lump sum and, after mandatory tax withholdings, took home $432,063.
This is not the first time the MONOPOLY game has minted a millionaire in North Carolina. An earlier $1 million top-prize claim was reported in January, highlighting that these big tickets have been popping up around the state, according to coverage by FOX Carolina.
What the Win Means
Beyond Bass’s personal jackpot, the state lottery points out that every ticket sold, winning or not, helps fund education programs in North Carolina. Lottery reporting on its impact notes that proceeds from games like the MONOPOLY scratch-off help support K-12 initiatives and higher-education scholarships statewide, tying quick convenience-store buys to longer-term classroom and scholarship support.
