Constance Philpott and Sean Kahoe of Franklin tried their luck on a $10 scratch-off and won a $1 million top prize.
They bought their lucky VIP Platinum ticket from N&N Express Mart on East Main Street in Franklin.
When they arrived at lottery headquarters Monday, they had a decision to make. They could choose to receive the prize as an annuity of $50,000 over 20 years or a lump sum of $600,000. They chose to split the lump-sum amount so they both received $300,000. After required state and federal tax withholdings, each took home $213,751.
The VIP Platinum game debuted in March with five $1 million top prizes. Two $1 million prizes remain to be claimed.
Ticket sales from scratch-off games make it possible for the lottery to raise $2.5 million a day on average for education. For details on how $2.1 million raised by the lottery made a difference in Macon County last year, visit www.nclottery.com and click on the “Impact” section.