The No. 7 proved lucky for Tony Addison Jr. of Whiteville on Tuesday when it led him to buy a $5 scratch-off that delivered a $200,000 prize.

It was the “7’s” in the Blazing 7’s game that caught Addison’s eye when he picked out a ticket during a stop at Murphy USA on Columbus Corners Drive in Whiteville.

“I like sevens,” said Addison on Wednesday as he collected his prize. “They’re lucky.”

Feeling that luck, Addison went back to his car where his mom was waiting on him and started scratching his ticket. After the surprise of the prize amount, they kept passing the ticket back and forth in disbelief.

“Just shock,” Addison said. “Couldn’t believe it.”

Addison plans to use some of the money to help his mom pay some bills, and save and invest the rest. After the required federal and state withholdings, he received $141,501.

The Blazing 7’s game started in July with six top prizes of $200,000. One $200,000 prize remains to be claimed.

Ticket sales from scratch-off games help the lottery raise more than $700 million a year for education. For details on how lottery funds are making a difference in all of North Carolina’s 100 counties, click on the “Impact” section of the lottery’s website, https://www.nclottery.com.