Charlotte woman celebrates $1 million scratch-off prize

March 3, 2023 Posted by NC Lottery at 3:16 PM

Adlett Squires of Charlotte took a chance on a $10 scratch-off ticket and won a $1 million prize.

Squires bought her lucky Jumbo Bucks ticket from Murphy USA on Galleria Boulevard in Charlotte.

When Squires arrived at lottery headquarters Friday, she had a decision to make. She could choose to receive her prize as an annuity of $50,000 over 20 years or a lump sum of $600,000. She chose the lump-sum amount of $600,000 and, after required state and federal tax withholdings, took home $427,503.

The N.C. Education Lottery’s Play Smart™ program educates and empowers North Carolinians to make smart decisions when they play the lottery. March is Problem Gambling Awareness Month and the lottery highlights Play Smart to help ensure when North Carolinians play the lottery it doesn’t become more than a game. Visit nclottery.com/PlaySmart to learn how the Play Smart program helps someone create a game plan to keep lottery play fun. If you or someone you know needs support, visit morethanagame.nc.gov/ for free, confidential help.

29 COMMENTS

3/07/2023 06:40 - William A.

What’s really bad about this ticket is it used to be a $750,000 prize with no annuity. You took more home after taxes back then. Now if you want your money now you get almost a 100k less then if you had won the 750k. Why would the lottery do this except to give players less on their big wins.

3/06/2023 09:43 - Caroline C.

Congratulations! Spend the money well!

3/06/2023 03:30 - Nicole B.

Congratulations Ms.Squires!

3/06/2023 02:13 - LaShada L.

Congratulations!! I have to admit that if I only had to pay $10 to win a million...I would not be complaining??

3/06/2023 01:45 - DONALD S.

LOTTERY Hi, Shenique! During the secure printing process, winning tickets are distributed at random throughout the entire printing run of each game. Then they're divided up into packs and the inventory is stored securely before being distributed to retailers by the lottery's sales staff. Where a winning ticket might show up is a complete mystery until a lucky player scratches one off! This is the same statement that McDonald’s made When the mafia and family members were winning big monopoly prizes at McDonald’s. Course took years for them to find out in the FBI had to get involved. Look, this blog lady is making $15 an hour to write statements like this she has no clue. players know.

3/05/2023 12:48 - Josue C.

Are y’all happy now that a non online player won the cash 5 ???

3/05/2023 10:29 - Roger K.

When was the last time the 50,000 was won? Went back to see if I could find it. Cannot seem to locate it. Can y'all help me out on finding out when was the last winner for the 50,000, thanks!NC Lottery
Hey there, Roger! We don't have that information on-hand, but if you visit https://records.lotterync.net a member of our team can work to get that answer for you ASAP.

3/05/2023 07:52 - Michael R.

NCEL I disagree on the odds. If 65% of the players buy cash 5 tickets in convenience stores then they should have a higher chance of winning it vs online players. Online players are winning at a higher rate. The same principle should apply as to Charlotte and Raleigh win more on scratch tickets. Higher % of playersNC Lottery
Hi, Michael! When more people play a certain way or in a certain area, we're bound to see more frequent winners just because there are more people taking a chance - but that doesn't mean the odds are different. The odds of matching all 5 numbers and winning the Cash 5 jackpot are the same regardless of where you buy your ticket!

3/05/2023 06:45 - Paula F.

Congratulations ??

3/05/2023 05:44 - Brian S.

Congratulations to the winner. I really don't buy scratch off anymore. I have bought ten random tickets and won nothing.

3/05/2023 04:59 - Joe S.

Congratulations from the Todd Park neighborhood in NW Charlotte. Picking up my new March scratch tickets this week as the new tickets are released Tuesday.:)

3/04/2023 10:55 - Shenique F.

Why is winning tickets always around the Raleigh area bc that’s where headquarters is my gosh let so other smaller cities win like Wilson NC & other eastern counties we dont want to just keep donating it’s only fair to us weNC Lottery
Hi, Shenique! During the secure printing process, winning tickets are distributed at random throughout the entire printing run of each game. Then they're divided up into packs and the inventory is stored securely before being distributed to retailers by the lottery's sales staff. Where a winning ticket might show up is a complete mystery until a lucky player scratches one off!

3/04/2023 09:56 - Dorothy M.

Who won the Nov 24 cash 5 drawing?NC Lottery
Hi, Dorothy! The $1.8 million jackpot was won by Matthew Huber from Raleigh: https://nclottery.com/NewsBlogDetails/2022/11/28/Wake-County-man-has-%E2%80%9Cphenomenal%E2%80%9D-Thanksgiving-after-winning-1dot8-million-jackpot.

3/04/2023 09:01 - Tony T.

Have fun and enjoy with a good intent.

3/04/2023 05:44 - Bobby D.

Always Always Always Always Always Charlotte somebody is paying someone in Raleigh good money to send this winning tickets to Charlotte

3/04/2023 11:42 - Sunday C.

Why did the lottery take more than half of what she hit for.NC Lottery
Hey there, Sunday! Thanks for the opportunity to share more info on this! The difference between the annuity and the lump sum is not a penalty--winners are given the choice between a $1 million payment paid out over 20 years, or a lump sum of $600,000. The 40% difference between the lump sum and the annuity would be earned on interest over the course of 20 years. When the lottery began, only annuities were offered for prizes like this. Players asked to have the choice to take a lump sum, so we began offering it. It is always up to the player to choose which one to go with. Hope this helps clear things up!

3/04/2023 11:09 - carolyn b.

WHAT 2 COUNTIES WERE THE C5 TICKETS SOLD IN THAT SPLIT MARCH 3RD 655,750 JP......NC Lottery
Hey, Carolyn! The two winning tickets were sold through Online Play to players in Whitakers, NC - so either Edgecombe or Nash county, depending on where the players are located within Whitakers.

3/04/2023 11:04 - carolyn b.

WTG ON YOUR 1 MILLION WIN JB IS MY Favorite 10.00 SCRATCH OFF........

3/04/2023 10:51 - stephane d.

In reference to the Cash 5 jackpot, there were two winning tickets. Both tickets were sold on line play? Both tickets sold to the same person?NC Lottery
Hi, Stephanie! Yes, there were two winning tickets sold through Online Play in the same city - these could belong to the same winner, who could have purchased multiple tickets with the same numbers for that drawing, or they could be two different winners - we will find out when the winner(s) comes in to claim!

3/04/2023 09:51 - Michael R.

I just don't get why online players win the cash 5 more often than people that play the traditional way via convenience stores and grocery stores. I just believe more people play at stores . When people buy a soda, they say give me a Cash 5 too.NC Lottery
Hi, Michael! In-store or online, quick pick or lucky numbers – there are lots of ways to play the lottery! But no matter where you buy your ticket or how you choose your numbers, your odds of picking the winning number combination will always be the same!

3/04/2023 09:37 - Christopher A.

Charlotte, what a surprise

3/04/2023 07:59 - roberta n.

Congratulations

3/04/2023 04:33 - avery f.

Congratulations keep looking for my name Mr.Avery Fishburn

3/03/2023 06:02 - arvin j.

Keno happy hour , I've won on several tickets and was only paid normal payout.is there a issue with the system?NC Lottery
Hi, Arvin! Keno Bonus Hours is only available at select retailers on Fridays from 4:00 PM - 6:00 PM. Any tickets purchased during that time with Multiplier added on would win 50% more in prizes!

3/03/2023 05:56 - Jami R.

So I get my tax refund and I decide to jump off the wagon and purchase 10-$20 tickets…just to see what happens. I usually get only two. Would you believe I won a whopping $30!!!! And these people are winning hundreds of thousands and millions on the “one” ticket they buy. For the record I live in EASTERN NC.

3/03/2023 05:09 - Rodney W.

I think with these scratch off wins if you scratch a million dollar ticket it should be a million dollar win after taxes . The lottery could calculate it so a million dollar prize is a million dollars to win and only take home 427,000 is kind of ridiculous it is more than half of the prize when it says a million you should take home a million .NC Lottery
Hey there, Rodney! At one time, all $1 million prizes for instant games were awarded as annuities. Winners got $50,000 a year for 20 years. Players asked for the same choice in big instant wins that they had with Powerball. They wanted a choice of taking the annuity or a lump sum. The lump sum on a $1 million prize is $600,000. It's the winner's choice. $1 million annuity paid over 20 years or $600,000 lump sum. The tax withholding is the same, just applied against the lump sum once or the annuity payment every year.

3/03/2023 05:08 - roberta n.

Congratulations

3/03/2023 04:32 - DONALD S.

Two winners in Charlotte this week and one outside of Raleigh. Bryson city, Sylva, Waynesville, Asheville, Hendersonville Cherokee mars hill, forest city, Morganton keep buying these tickets so these people in Raleigh and Charlotte can keep winning the $1 million prizes. If you don’t buy scratch off, then people in these big cities cannot win. So I would encourage you to continue to buy tickets and lose so people can win $1 million in Charlotte and Raleigh.NC Lottery
Hi, Donald! Anywhere there are more chances being taken to win—for example Raleigh or Charlotte—the odds will play out more often there over time. You'll have a larger volume of both winning and non-winning tickets in proportion with the odds. That has no effect on the likelihood of a particular ticket winning or not winning a prize, whether it be in a big city or a small town. It has to be that way in order for the lottery to be fair to everyone.

3/03/2023 03:56 - Margaret G.

Charlotte is the place to be, two scratch off million dollar winners in less than a month.

Win up to $1,000,000 every 4 minutes

Big Thrills Served Fast.

Progressive Jackpot Estimate

Charlotte woman celebrates $1 million scratch-off prize

March 3, 2023 Posted by NC Lottery at 3:16 PM

Helpful Links

Get the Mobile App

No Longer Just a Game? There's Help