Jennifer Lockhart of Charlotte is the first player to win $400,000 playing the new Big Win scratch-off game.
Lockhart bought the $5 ticket at the 7-Eleven on North Graham Street in Charlotte.
She claimed her prize Tuesday at lottery headquarters in Raleigh. After required state and federal tax withholdings, she took home $278,005.
The $5 ticket launched on Jan. 2 with four top prizes of $400,000 and six prizes of $10,000. Three top prizes and four $10,000 prizes remain to be claimed.
Ticket sales from instant games like Big Win make it possible for the lottery to raise more than $600 million a year for education. For details on how lottery funds have made a difference in all of North Carolina’s 100 counties, click on the “Impact” section of the lottery’s website.