Latest news with #SmokeyExpress
Miami Herald
2 days ago
- Business
- Miami Herald
Lottery winner claims prize — and gets huge shock. ‘Is this really happening?'
A South Carolina woman knew her lottery ticket was a winner, but the prize amount came as a complete shock. Betty Hill got a $1 million surprise Tuesday, May 27, when she claimed her winnings at lottery headquarters in Raleigh, the North Carolina Education Lottery said in a May 28 news release. 'I was like, 'Is this really happening to me,'' Hill told officials, laughing. 'I was surprised it was that large.' She bought the $1,000,000 Loteria scratch-off game while visiting a Smokey Express station in Maggie Valley, where she also owns a timeshare, the lottery said. 'I stopped to buy the ticket at the station I always like to stop at,' she told the lottery. Hill said she figured the prize was big after she scanned her ticket and was told to claim her payout at lottery headquarters, according to officials. However, she waited to find out just how much she'd won. Hill beat odds of 1 in 1,224,945 to snag the game's top prize, according to the lottery's website. After the surprising windfall, she chose a lump sum payment of $600,000 and took home $430,503 after taxes, the lottery said. 'I've never won anything like this before,' Hill told officials. A top prize worth $1 million remains up for grabs in the $1,000,000 Loteria scratch-off game, according to the North Carolina Education Lottery. Hill didn't say how she plans to spend her winnings. Maggie Valley is about a 280-mile drive west from downtown Raleigh.
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Upstate woman wins $1 million jackpot from NC scratch ticket
RALEIGH, N.C. (WSPA) – An Upstate woman's visit to North Carolina turned into a $1 million lottery jackpot. 'I was like, 'Is this really happening to me,'' said Betty Hill, of Simpsonville. 'I was surprised it was that large.' Hill arrived in Raleigh Tuesday to claim the top prize from a $1,000,000 Loteria scratch-off ticket. According to the North Carolina Education Lottery, Hill purchased her ticket at the Smokey Express on Soco Road in Maggie Valley. Hill told lottery officials that she owns a timeshare in Maggie Valley and travels there frequently. 'I stopped to buy the ticket at the station I always like to stop at,' Hill told the lottery. NC Education Lottery officials said Hill opted to take a lump sum of $600,000 and, after state and federal taxes, ended up taking home $430,503. One top prize remains in the $1,000,000 Loteria game, which debuted in March 2024. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
