A Pineville homeowner barely had time to settle into his new place before landing the kind of housewarming gift most people only daydream about: a $1 million lottery prize that will wipe out his mortgage.
The Pineville resident, who bought his house just a month ago, scored the $1 million top prize in the N.C. Education Lottery's $8 Million Money Maker Second Chance drawing. His entry was picked in the drawing held last Wednesday.
Kourtnie Daugherty said he was “flabbergasted” when lottery officials called with the news and told them the win means his new home will be paid off, according to WBTV. The station reports Daugherty chose a lump-sum payout instead of 20 annual payments and walked away with just over $432,000 after taxes.
Prize Breakdown And Payouts
The latest second-chance draw awarded one $1 million top prize, three $100,000 prizes, ten $25,000 prizes and fifty $500 prizes, according to the N.C. Education Lottery's description of the $8 Million Money Maker second-chance promotion. The lottery notes that top prizes can be taken either as a reduced lump-sum payment or as annuity payments over time, depending on the winner's choice.
How The Second-Chance Drawing Works
The promotion allows players to scan $8 Million Money Maker scratch-off tickets into their online lottery accounts, where they are automatically entered into scheduled second-chance drawings. The N.C. Education Lottery has laid out the process in past winner posts.
Coverage of earlier drawings shows that entries can climb into the hundreds of thousands, and winners are typically asked to claim prizes at lottery headquarters after their identity is verified, as reported by WITN.
Daugherty's big win is the latest example of how a routine scratch-off can turn into a life-changing payout through these second-chance promotions. He told lottery staff he is still in disbelief and plans to use the money to pay off the house he bought last month, WBTV reports. For prize-claim details and entry windows, the N.C. Education Lottery posts instructions and winner notices on its website.
