A tradition of playing the lottery with her uncle led Ashley Ellison of Gaffney, S.C., to a $250,000 scratch-off win.
“It was his idea to stop,” she recalled. “We go out to eat sometimes and then buy tickets.”
Ellison purchased her lucky $20 Merry Multiplier scratch-off on Sunday from Dhiya Food Mart on South Post Road in Shelby. When she scratched the ticket, she initially misread the winning amount.
“I thought I just won $250,” Ellison laughed. “I freaked out.”
It took Ellison a while to process the big win.
“The whole ride home I was like, ‘Really? I won $250,000? Seriously?’” she recalled.
Ellison said the big win comes at the perfect time for her.
“This is absolutely going to make for a great Christmas,” Ellison said.
She collected her prize at lottery headquarters Tuesday and, after required state and federal tax withholdings, took home $178,756.
The Merry Multiplier game debuted in November with three $250,000 top prizes. One $250,000 prize remains to be claimed.
Play Smart, Gift Smart is the N.C. Education Lottery's annual campaign highlighting the risks of youth gambling. The campaign raises awareness that popular holiday scratch-offs should only be gifted to adults. In this year’s campaign, North Carolinians can donate school supplies at a lottery claim center, support a good cause, and get a chance to win a prize. Visit NCEL Play Smart for more information.