McDowell County man “excited as a banjo” with $100,000 lottery win

October 28, 2025 Posted by NC Lottery at 3:11 PM

Gary McNeely of Marion had good reason to be excited on Monday when a $30 scratch-off purchase became a $100,000 win.

“I was as excited as a banjo,” he laughed.

McNeely, a car salesman for over 20 years, purchased his lucky Millionaire Bucks ticket from M&M Mart on North Main Street in Marion.

“It tickled me to death,” McNeely recalled. “I’ve never won anything like that before.”

He collected his prize at lottery headquarters Tuesday and, after required state and federal tax withholdings, took home $71,758.

McNeely plans to use his winnings to do some work around his house.

The Millionaire Bucks game debuted in October 2024 with four $5 million top prizes and 10 $100,000 prizes. Three $5 million prizes and six $100,000 prizes remain to be claimed.

A $15 million grant, using money raised by the lottery, helped McDowell County build the new Old Fort Elementary School. For details on other ways McDowell County benefits from lottery funds, visit www.nclottery.com and click on the “Impact” section.

9 COMMENTS

10/31/2025 04:42 - Donna A.

Congratulations

10/30/2025 12:16 - Donna A.

Congratulations ????

10/30/2025 04:29 - Brian T.

NCEL, you tagged the end of the article with the "$15 million grant for the Old Fort Elementary School". Please, there are more people and more taxes paid than there has ever been in history. You perpetrate fraud in the name of charity and follow a "taxation without representation" mentality. Good luck to us all.

10/29/2025 11:06 - Steven B.

excited for you recieving this blessing

10/29/2025 07:37 - Roger K.

Congratulations on your big win! Now take some of your winnings, go out of your county to buy whole books of different rolls, might just find a million dollar roll of tickets somewhere out there in another county. Good luck!

10/28/2025 07:33 - roberta n.

Congratulations

10/28/2025 05:29 - kenny h.

Congratulations dude. Very nice win

10/28/2025 04:02 - Kent H.

Wayne county has worst schools and roads...inside is a military base! Make your ppriority this county! Also, nevwr lost more in keno anywhere in the world besides yours in NC! Can't even hit a 2 spot more than 1x in in 200 games! How is that mathematically possible?! I was at cleveland dradhpuse in clayton!

10/28/2025 03:49 - Mark M.

Just don't play online. If you win you can only withdraw you winnings LIMITED times, so if you banked any money and exceeded the Transfer to debit which you deposited with, you're either forced to spend your money back with them or let it sit and wait. I find this borderline illegalNC Lottery
Hi, Mark! The NC Lottery does not have a limit on the number of withdrawal requests a player can make at a time, though some payment methods have their own limits in place. Online Banking withdrawals are limited to 3 within a single day, or 14 per week. VISA Debit Card withdrawals are limited to 5 in a day, or 10 per week. Withdrawals through ACH transfers or PayPal do not have any limits.

McDowell County man “excited as a banjo” with $100,000 lottery win

October 28, 2025 Posted by NC Lottery at 3:11 PM

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