Jose Ortez of Durham tried his luck on a $10 scratch-off and cashed in on the $500,000 top prize.
Ortez bought his lucky $500,000 Cashword ticket from the Refuel on Guess Road in Durham. He claimed his prize Thursday at lottery headquarters in Raleigh. After required federal and state tax withholdings, he took home $325,050.
He won the first top prize in the $500,000 Cashword game, which started in March. Two more remain to be won.
Ticket sales from scratch-off games make it possible for the lottery to raise more than $900 million per year for education. For details on how $13.9 million raised by the lottery made a difference in Durham County in 2021, visit www.nclottery.com and click on the “Impact” section.