RALEIGH – B.A. Ray of Clemmons was having a relaxing Friday afternoon when he stopped at Carleton’s Tanglewood on Clemmons Road. That’s where he bought and scratched off a $20 ticket for the $200 Million Blowout game – and that’s when things got exciting.

“Before I look at the prizes, I like to scratch the barcode and scan the ticket myself,” Ray explained Monday afternoon. “It told me I had to report to lottery headquarters, so I knew I had won at least $100,000.”

More than 4,000 lottery retailers across the state have self-service scanners that allow players to check their tickets.

“I always scratch the prizes from the bottom right-hand corner of the ticket,” Ray continued. “That’s where the $1 million prize was. I said, ‘Oh, hello!’”

A $1 million prize in the game can be claimed in 20 annuity payments of $50,000 or a one-time payment of $600,000. Ray chose the lump sum, worth $415,506 after required withholdings.

Ray, retired from restaurant management since 2000, said he planned to share his winnings with his two sons and granddaughter.

“I imagine most of it will wind up in their hands,” he said.

Ticket sales made it possible for the lottery to raise more than half a billion dollars for the state last year. For details on how $112 million in lottery funds have made a difference in Forsyth County, click on the “Where the Money Goes” tab on the lottery’s website.