Saul Chavez Duran of Maysville, Ga., took a trip to Denver, N.C., and came back with something most tourists only daydream about: an $8 million top prize on a North Carolina scratch-off. He hit big on a $50 ticket and claimed the prize at the North Carolina Education Lottery headquarters in Raleigh yesterday. Duran chose the $4.8 million lump-sum payout option and, after required federal and state withholdings, walked away with $3,456,494.
Ticket and game details
The $8 Million Money Maker is a $50 scratch-off that debuted in December 2024 and launched with five $8 million top prizes and ten $100,000 prizes. The game’s page lists starting odds of roughly 1 in 3,000,000 for the top prize and currently shows a small number of big prizes still unclaimed, per the North Carolina Education Lottery.
Where he bought the ticket and how he claimed
According to The Charlotte Observer, Duran scored the $8 million top prize after buying his ticket at a D‑Mart on N.C. 16 North in Denver, in Lincoln County. The paper reports that he went to lottery headquarters in Raleigh on March 13 to complete his claim and chose the $4.8 million lump-sum option instead of the annuity. After standard withholdings, he left with $3,456,494, the Observer notes.
What this means for players
Duran’s windfall is a fresh reminder that some of the biggest scratch-off prizes are still out there, and that it pays to double-check older tickets instead of letting them sit in a drawer. The lottery’s game page continues to list unclaimed top prizes and updated odds, and players can verify tickets online or at lottery offices, per the North Carolina Education Lottery. Winners are encouraged to take their time, consider professional tax and financial advice, and follow the lottery’s claim steps before making any life-changing money moves.
