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A lucky North Carolina man is feeling "grateful" after winning a "crazy" $1 million lottery prize.
Gary Banther, of Lake Toxaway, recently purchased a $10 Jumbo Bucks scratch-off ticket from the Lake Toxaway Trading Post on Rosman Highway, a move that landed him one of the game's top $1 million prizes, according to a release from the NC Education Lottery. After he saw just how much he won, he was speechless.
"I didn't even say a word, I just stared at it," he said, adding that once he recovered, he had to share the exciting news with his wife, who seemingly had a more expressive reaction. "I said, 'Look at this,' and she went crazy."
Banther claimed his prize at lottery headquarters on Monday (February 3) where he had the choice to receive his win as either an annuity of $50,000 over the course of 20 years or as a one time, lump sum payment of $600,000. In the end, he chose the latter and ending up taking home a whopping $430,503 after all required state and federal tax withholdings.
The Transylvania County man told lottery officials that he plans to use some of the prize to buy his wife a car. As for now, Banther still can't believe that he scored the six-figure win.
"I'm still thinking, 'Is this true?'" he said. "I'm just thankful and grateful."
According to the lottery website, following Banther's win, five of the Jumbo Bucks' $1 million prizes remain to be claimed.