Krystal Hastings and James Patana of Wilmington thought of their family first after a $10 scratch-off purchase became a $1 million top prize win.
“This is an opportunity for our family,” Patana said. “It’s going to help everyone tremendously.”
Patana said they already know how they will spend their winnings.
“We are finally going to get a house,” he said.
They bought the Lucky Loteria ticket on Saturday from the Harris Teeter on Parker Farm Road in Wilmington. Patana said he had a strong reaction when he found out.
“It just makes you shake,” he recalled. “I couldn’t sleep that night.”
When Hastings and Patana arrived at lottery headquarters Monday, they had a decision to make. They could choose to receive the prize as an annuity of $50,000 over 20 years or a lump sum of $600,000. They chose the lump sum of $600,000 and decided to split the prize with each claiming $300,000. After required tax withholdings, they each took home $215,251.
“It didn’t really feel real until we got here,” Hastings said. “This is truly a once-in-a-lifetime thing.”
The Lucky Loteria game debuted in March with four top prizes of $1 million. Two $1 million prizes remain to be claimed.
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