North Carolina man wins $1 million on scratch-off after he ‘felt the urge’ to play

You can call it a lucky feeling!

Less than one week after moving to North Carolina, Jeremy Hartzell said he “felt an urge to buy a scratch-off” from a local Quick Mart convenience in Marshall, NC.

The 25-year-old father of two, who moved to Asheville, dropped $10 on the “Big Cash Payout” scratch-off game and became $1 million richer.

“I came here to rent but now I’m coming here to buy,” Hartzell told the lottery. “This couldn’t have come at a better time in my life.”

The young father said he would also use the money to help support his children.

Hatzell chose the lump sum of $600,000 instead of opting for the $50,000 over 20 years payout when he went to the lottery headquarters in Raleigh to collect his winnings on Monday.

He was still left with the sizeable sum of $426,063 after North Carolina collected the state and federal tax withholdings from his winning.

The “Big Cash Payout Game” debuted in December of 2021, offering four $1 million prizes. Ticket holders have to match any of their 15 numbers to the six winning numbers to win the prize associated with the matching numbers.

Hartzell won the final $1 million offered, and NC Education Lottery will start the process of ending the “Big Cash Payout” game.

Hartzell’s big win comes in the same week that two mystery winners claimed the $1.34 billion Mega Millions prize that captivated lottery players across the country earlier this summer.

The winners had a whole year to claim the prize but only 60 days — or until Sept. 27 — for their choice of getting the $780.5 million lump sum.