Ticket in small mountain town wins $458,171 prize

Before we do our weekly wrap-up of the biggest lottery wins, we want to give everyone a heads up about the next batch of instant scratch-off games.

We heard from many players – including some of you here in the Lucke-Zone – that tracking down new scratch-offs on First Tuesdays was sometimes a challenge. We listened, and started shipping them on Mondays, so that more players would be able to play new games on First Tuesday.

In September, however, First Tuesday comes the day after Labor Day – which is a state holiday. So, the decision was made to ship them Friday. That means some stores could have the new games – Break the Bank, Crossword 10X, Triple 7’s and Lucky Spot! – on sale today or over the long weekend.

Retailers are encouraged to rotate new instant games into stock quickly, but ultimately it’s up to them, and can depend on their overall inventory of tickets. So for those of you who look forward to First Tuesday, we recommend checking in at your favorite store during the holiday weekend. And we hope to be writing about you in the big winner blog next week.

The biggest win this week happened to come from a lucky ticket in the mountains. Columbus in Polk County isn’t a big town. But Robert Gallen, a resident of Casar in Cleveland County, won something big there: a $458,171 Cash 5 jackpot. The retired textile plan engineer won when the five numbers he's been playing for years came up in Wednesday's drawing.

Three other players won $100,000 or more:

Sharafe Salah Abdel Jawad of Wallace is the latest player to win the top prize in the $500 a Week for Life! instant scratch-off game. The $500 a Week for Life! top prize guarantees winners an annual prize of $26,000 for the rest of their lives. The winner can also choose a lump sum cash prize, worth $354,000, instead of the annuity. Jawad chose the lump sum option.

High Point resident Nasir Arif won $150,000 top prize in the Caesars instant scratch-off game. Arif scratched off the lucky ticket after purchasing it at City Exxon on West Burton Avenue in High Point.

Francisco Licona, a construction worker from Charlotte, is the fifth and final player to claim the $100,000 top prize in the Ultimate Crossword game. He bought the winning ticket at Petro Express on Wilkinson Boulevard in Charlotte.

• Twelve more prizes of $10,000 to $50,000 were awarded:
• Charvaris Oliver of Burlington - $10,000 ($4,000,000 Multiplier Spectacular)
  
• Corzella Curry of Charlotte - $20,000 ($1,000,000 Jackpot)
  
• Priscilla Sharpe of Edenton - $10,000 ($4,000,000 Multiplier Spectacular)
  
• Franklin Toruno of Lincolnton - $30,000 (Quick Silver!)
  
• Edwin Shelton of Madison - $10,000 (White hot 5’s)
  
• Laci Plemmons of Old Fort - $10,000 (Millionaire 7’s)
  
• Sylvester Joyner of Snow Hill - $10,000 ($4,000,000 Multiplier Spectacular)
  
• Almetrice Chasten of Warsaw - $10,000 ($10,000 Jackpot)
  
• Stephen Marriner of Williamston - $10,000 (White Hot 5’s)
  
• Roderick Martin of Winston-Salem - $50,000 ($50,000 Lucky Numbers)
  
• Virgie Alexander of Winston-Salem - $10,000 (Golden 7’s)
  
• Betty Segraves of Winston-Salem - $10,000 ($120 Million Cash)
  

In all, players scratched off more than $14.5 million in prizes and draw game players matched lucky numbers for $4 million more, topping $18.5 million for the week.

Here’s to a fun and safe Labor Day weekend. See you next time here in the Lucke-Zone.