Columbia man uses lottery jackpot as ‘get out of debt’ card, officials say
A Columbia man said he’s stress- and debt-free after winning a five-digit jackpot, according to the South Carolina Education Lottery.
The man who captured a $30,000 prize in a scratch-off game has used money from the windfall to pay off his bills, lottery officials said in a news release.
He bought the winning Money Bag Multiplier scratch-off ticket for $2 at the Sunoco Food Mart on Bush River Road, according to the release. That’s near Exit 108 on Interstate 26, and about a mile from Dutch Square Mall.
The man told lottery officials he did his best to keep his cool after discovering the big payday.
“I didn’t hoot and holler,” he said in the release. “I did a double take.”
He’ll have some help keeping his secret mum.
The man’s name was not released because South Carolina is one of eight states — along with Delaware, Kansas, Georgia, Maryland, North Dakota, Ohio and Texas — that allow lottery winners to remain anonymous.
Lottery officials said the man overcame 432,000-to-1 odds to win and claim the Money Bag Multiplier game’s last remaining top prize. There were five top prizes available when the game started.
While the winner said he’ll be debt free now, he did not reveal any other plans for his newfound fortune.
The Sunoco Food Mart received a commission of $300 for selling the winning ticket, according to the release.
