NORTH CAROLINA EDUCATION LOTTERY
A North Carolina man won the $2 million jackpot off a $20 ticket Mega 7 ticket, ending the popular scratch-off game, lottery officials said Friday.
The game opened in October 2022 with four $2 million jackpots and eight $100,000 prizes, according to the lottery. Once winners are named in all four jackpots, the game is over.
Charlotte gas station owner Praful Shah’s ticket scored the last of the jackpots in the game, officials said in a news release.
Shah, who also lives in Charlotte, beat odds of 1 in 3.18 million, according to the Mega 7’s page on NC Lottery.com.
He bought the ticket at the station he owns, Derita BP Amoco on West Sugar Creek Road, according to the lottery.
Shah didn’t say what he’ll do with his jackpot when he claimed the prize at lottery headquarters in Raleigh on Thursday. He didn’t return a phone message from The Charlotte Observer on Saturday.
He had the choice of a $100,000 annuity over 20 years and a $1.2 million lump sum, officials said. He picked the lump sum and took home $858,006 after taxes, according to the lottery.
