Man finds $20 on ground: wins $1 million with Scratch-Off Ticket!
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3 Nov 2024 •
Reading time: 3 minutes Jerry Hicks, a carpenter and resident of Banner Elk in western North Carolina, had a special day. While standing outside a Speedway store in Boone on Tuesday, he saw $20 on the ground. It seemed like a small stroke of luck, but it got even better. Hicks decided to use his found money to buy a scratch-off ticket, which ultimately earned him a staggering $1 million.
With Found $20, Hicks Buys Scratch-Off Ticket, Wins Millions
Hicks told the North Carolina Education Lottery that he used the money to buy a scratch-off ticket, a $25 Extreme Cash ticket. “I used that money to buy the ticket,” he told the lottery, smiling as he remembered the moment. A few days later, on Friday, Hicks claimed his prize at the North Carolina Education Lottery headquarters. He opted for a one-time payout of $600,000, of which he took home $429,007 after taxes.
Celebrates with family at Golden Corral after million-dollar win
With such an unexpected windfall, Hicks decided not to make grand plans right away. At first, he just wanted to go out to dinner with his family to celebrate his good fortune. “We’re going to go straight to Golden Corral and eat everything they have,” he told lottery officials, clearly enjoying the idea of celebrating life with his loved ones.
After 56 years in construction, Hicks retires and supports his children
Hicks, who has worked as a master carpenter for 56 years, now finally has the chance to retire. He told the lottery that he’s not only thinking about his own future, but also that of his children. With his winnings, he wants to support them and provide them with a more comfortable future.
What are the odds of winning $1 million with Extreme Cash?
According to the North Carolina Education Lottery, the odds of winning the $1 million jackpot on an Extreme Cash scratch card are 1 in 2,017,650. For any prize, the odds are 1 in 4.21, the lottery says.
What about Belgium?
In Belgium, the odds of winning $1 million depend on the specific game, as different lotteries and scratch cards each have their own odds calculations. Here are some popular options and their associated odds:
- EuroMillions: The odds of winning the EuroMillions jackpot (usually worth several million euros) are approximately 1 in 139 million. However, there are smaller prizes available, and the odds of winning a prize in general are much higher.
- National Lottery Lotto: In the Belgian Lotto, the odds of winning the jackpot (which can sometimes be up to €1 million or more) are around 1 in 8 million.
- Scratch cards: Several scratch cards offer top prizes of €1 million or more, such as the “Cash” scratch cards. The odds vary per ticket, but the chance of winning a large top prize is usually less than 1 in a million.
- Win For Life: Some Win For Life games offer prizes that can add up to a total of €1 million in the long run. The odds of winning such a top prize vary, but are usually around 1 in a few million.
For all games of chance, winning such a large amount is exceptionally rare.