Dewayne Townsend of Canton, Ga., said he can pay off his house and retire a lot sooner now after winning the first $200,000 prize in the Carolina Panthers scratch-off game.
“It makes me feel good. Real good,” Townsend said. “It will make life so much easier for me now.”
Townsend bought his lucky $5 scratch-off from Kwik Stop on Old Highway 64 West in Warne. He said he works near the state line and he enjoys buying scratch-offs in North Carolina.
“I go to that store all the time,” he said. “I’m up there a lot for work.”
Townsend said this win will help him out in a major way.
“I have worked since I was probably 14 years old,” he said. “I’m 60 years old now and it is going to help me retire a whole lot sooner now.”
He arrived at lottery headquarters Thursday to claim his prize and, after required state and federal tax withholdings, took home $142,501.
Townsend said in addition to putting money away for his retirement, he will use his winnings to pay off his house.
The Carolina Panthers game debuted in July with five $200,000 top prizes. Four $200,000 prizes remain to be claimed.
Check out the video below of Townsend discussing his big win.
Login to leave a comment.