Charlotte man enjoys $2 million scratch-off win

April 26, 2024 Posted by NC Lottery at 9:25 AM

Praful Shah of Charlotte tried his luck on a $20 scratch-off and won a $2 million prize.

Shah bought his lucky Mega 7’s ticket from Derita BP Amoco on West Sugar Creek Road in Charlotte, a store he owns.

When Shah arrived Thursday to collect his prize, he had a decision to make. He could choose to receive the prize as an annuity of $100,000 over 20 years or a lump sum of $1.2 million. He chose the lump sum of $1.2 million and, after required state and federal tax withholdings, took home $858,006.

Mega 7’s debuted in October 2022 with four $2 million prizes and eight $100,000 prizes. Since Shah won the last $2 million top prize, the lottery will begin the process of ending the game.

32 COMMENTS

5/01/2024 03:26 - Tatiana D.

Angela, my friends couldn't believe me either when I showed them these back to back tickets. It sounds horrible that the whole roll of pretty expensive tickets had just one winner. Hope, you don't play like this anymore. Winners are distributed randomly, and there can be bad rolls. It is all about luck, nothing else.

4/30/2024 11:08 - Angela A.

I have never been a person who won back to back, but I have seen someone else do it. I am the person who purchased a whole roll of $10 tickets and believe it or not there was only 1 yes I said 1 winning ticket on the whole roll :( and it was $50!

4/30/2024 06:12 - Darlene E.

Congrats

4/29/2024 04:44 - Tatiana D.

I want to tell you, guys, that the winning tickets are randomly distributed in a roll. I usually get two $5 tickets in a row. A while ago first ticket won $50, and the one right after it won $100. I just couldn't believe my eyes! And yes, sometimes it is possible to buy many tickets in a row and win nothing at all. That is why it is not recommended to play this way.

4/29/2024 03:56 - Tony T.

NC LOTTERY said: Hi Tony, the release dates can be found on our website at https://nclottery.com/scratch-off-games-ending as well as the end dates and last day to claim info. thxs. failed to look there, rather only under scratch offs and prizes remaining sections.. the info. is not there. thought it used to be, guess not. release dates are there on the ones not ending though under those sections.

4/29/2024 09:18 - william j.

4 30 tickets in row no win

4/29/2024 07:08 - darryl i.

They say more tickets are sold in cities is why the top prizes are won there. But why are nearly all th we top prizes SENT there ?NC Lottery
Hi, Darryl! Anywhere there are more chances being taken to win—for example Raleigh or Charlotte—the odds will play out more often there over time. With more players, more tickets are being purchased from retailers in those areas - so over time, those retailers order more packs of tickets. You'll have a larger volume of both winning and non-winning tickets in proportion with the odds. That has no effect on the likelihood of a particular ticket winning or not winning a prize, whether it be in a big city or a small town. It has to be that way in order for the lottery to be fair to everyone.

4/28/2024 08:15 - Antonio M.

Wonderful

4/28/2024 03:54 - shirley b.

what is up with all these repeats. ? Too many repeats for your players. No trips since December. Need to get some more machines. If ya'll repeat a trip 3 times in a month that would be suspect. So you see the reason for the suspected attitudes of players. NC Lottery
Hi Shirley, we love it when popular numbers come up at random because that means our players win a bunch of prizes! But for draw games to be fair, every number must have the same chance of being drawn. The odds are precisely 1 in 1,000, and those odds never change, no matter how recently or long ago a triple came out.

4/28/2024 03:44 - Tatiana D.

I am always very happy for the winners. However, there should be some kind of limitations for the store owners. I am not sure about buying tickets. But they definitely shouldn't be allowed to enter second chance drawings. They collect a lot of tickets from their stores and enter them.

4/28/2024 03:05 - william j.

Congrats..I test the break even oddsodds with 9 five dollar ticket in a row and 4 30$ in row..didn't win one dime...a while back I got 3 in a row and saw that there was a number skipped. Went back and the clerk said don't know what to tell you....I never scratch in store but lots people do...so the odds of the workers are great cause they know wen to buy one....I'm retiring from nc scrathoffs..good luck

4/28/2024 03:19 - shirley b.

NCEL why NC hasn't had a trip to fall since December?

4/27/2024 08:59 - Michael B.

Any plans to bring back the $10,000 loaded tickets ? Definitely are missed NC Lottery
Hi Michael, as of now, it looks like the Loaded games should start returning in early 2025.

4/27/2024 06:54 - Marsha R.

It was just his turn, and I'm glad the win came for him and his family. I'm clapping for everyone from the sidelines as I wait for my turn to win a big jackpot this year!

4/27/2024 04:18 - stacy r.

Congratulations to Praful Shah!!!! I have learned the NC lottery for many years how they operate. The most and majority of the top prizes are given out around Raleigh area as well as Charlotte area. West of Raleigh and also Fayetteville area where military bases are located. Raleigh and West is because of all the NC crooked politicians come from these areas. I play the lottery but it is definitely rigged. This is why it's so hard to win.

4/27/2024 02:55 - Tony T.

mmm, here we go again. NCEL...wondering why you don't show the release dates on the ending games any longer? NC Lottery
Hi Tony, the release dates can be found on our website at https://nclottery.com/scratch-off-games-ending as well as the end dates and last day to claim info.

4/27/2024 12:49 - Kimberly F.

What a blessing only GOD can give those out and you got picked that's amazing

4/27/2024 12:44 - Donald F.

Store owners should be not allowed to Buy Tickets especially from the store They own, In some other States they can’t Buy them at All.

4/27/2024 10:42 - Sharon S.

I agree 1000% that we not getting bamboozled by the NCEL, we getting it from the owners. They are actually the tickets being sold. Just like Vultures they're circling for the kill. Owners! Your customers can't get a fair shot if you're actually taking the winning tickets. I have seen with my own eyes of a store owner tearing n scratching tickets from his towers. I decided then I would never to purchase another ticket from that store! Just stating a fact!

4/27/2024 09:48 - Sharon W.

Congrats am be next lol

4/27/2024 09:03 - Dimas C.

Como saber si gano algo dónde puedo revisar NC Lottery
Hola Dimas, Si visita su tienda de lotería local, siempre puede escanear su boleto en el verificador de boletos de autoservicio.

4/27/2024 08:11 - Danielle Simone R.

I’m more upset that the ticket was at the nearest BP gas station to my house lol. He paid for his ticket like everyone else, so congrats to him on a big win.

4/27/2024 08:01 - Jacqueline T.

Enjoy life more,congrats!

4/27/2024 12:28 - MICHAEL B.

Congratulations on your win

4/26/2024 10:15 - Vivian p.

Congratulations Praful on your Winnings. Enjoy

4/26/2024 07:20 - Andrew S.

It happened in our town twice with the same store owner, she won 2 cash 5 prizes. she retired and sold the store. It happens. I don't see why you would think it is so far-fetched.

4/26/2024 06:44 - Paul W.

I as well think it's shady that an owner gets to buy tickets at his own store. My opinion is, that these winners watched a bunch of losing tickets while they were, "at work" and knew which ticket to purchase. It's not ethical to say the least.

4/26/2024 05:27 - Joe S.

Congratulations from the Todd Park neighborhood, NW Charlotte! :)

4/26/2024 05:27 - Miranda M.

Yeah this is getting to out of hand.

4/26/2024 11:03 - Roger K.

Here we go again! A store owner wins w million dollars on a scratch off. I know y'all checked him out good, but a owner of his store winning the last top prize on a ticket, still seems suspicious to me and others, there I said it!

4/26/2024 10:48 - Angela A.

Charlotte yet another BIG WINNING TICKET! Congrats! I hope to be at ZMAX this weekend maybe I can grab a BIG WIN!

4/26/2024 10:45 - Gabriella M.

“a store he owns” I 1000% believe in the randomness of the distribution of high $ winning cards. However, I find it absolutely ABSURD the amount of individuals who have conveniently won hundreds of thousands to millions from tickets purchased from a store they OWN. The odds of winning those amounts are slim to none… the odds of countless store owners winning those amounts… too impossibly low to be organic. Shame on NCEL for allowing literal STORE OWNERS, to continue to pull this heist off in broad daylight!!! So many owners have won, media attention outta be brought to it because it is just tooooo strange.

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Charlotte man enjoys $2 million scratch-off win

April 26, 2024 Posted by NC Lottery at 9:25 AM