RALEIGH – Tyrone Heller of Lincolnton said that winning $1 million means he can buy a house and save for his daughter’s college fund. He won the prize playing the new Ultimate Millions game that began Sept. 1.

“I’m still in shock,” he said as he claimed his winnings. “To win $1 million that soon on a new game, I thought that was pretty cool.”

Heller bought his lucky $30 ticket at the Country Corner Foodmart on N.C. 150 East in Lincolnton, where he works. He waited till he got home to scratch it off to see if he had won.

“At first it was strange because I said to myself, what does ‘1 MIL’ mean?” Heller said, referring to the abbreviation for the prize amount he saw on his ticket. “Then it kind of sunk in. Did I win $1 million?”

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. Heller chose the lump sum, worth $415,509 after required withholdings.

As of Tuesday morning, all four top prizes of $10 million remain to be claimed in the Ultimate Millions game.

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 $23.8 million in lottery funds have made a difference in Lincoln County, click on the “Where the Money Goes” tab on the lottery’s website.