National

Lottery player talked to his ticket in South Carolina. Then he started screaming

A South Carolina man bought a $2 scratch-off and wound up winning a big prize, lottery officials said.
A South Carolina man bought a $2 scratch-off and wound up winning a big prize, lottery officials said. Photo by Giorgio Trovato via Unsplash

A stroke of luck led to a South Carolina man’s big lottery win — or perhaps it was a “pep talk” that did the trick.

“I talked to my ticket,” the Lowcountry resident told South Carolina Education Lottery officials, per an April 14 news release. “I said, ‘Come on, I need a good one.’“

He bought the Jumbo Bucks scratcher at a BlueWater Market in Mount Pleasant, a short drive east from Charleston, officials said. Soon after, he scratched the $2 ticket to reveal a $50,000 jackpot prize, officials said.

That’s when he started screaming.

“It was amazing,” he told lottery officials. “I was ecstatic.”

The lucky player beat odds of 1 in 600,000 to win the grand prize, the lottery’s website says. Three top prizes of $50,000 are still up for grabs in the Jumbo Bucks game.

The man said he plans to share his winnings with his wife and kids.

Many people can gamble or play games of chance without harm. However, for some, gambling is an addiction that can ruin lives and families.

If you or a loved one shows signs of gambling addiction, you can seek help by calling the national gambling hotline at 1-800-522-4700 or visiting the National Council on Problem Gambling website.

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This story was originally published April 14, 2025 at 4:51 PM with the headline "Lottery player talked to his ticket in South Carolina. Then he started screaming."

Tanasia Kenney
Sun Herald
Tanasia is a service journalism reporter at the Charlotte Observer | CharlotteFive, working remotely from Atlanta, Georgia. She covers restaurant openings/closings in Charlotte and statewide explainers for the NC Service Journalism team. She’s been with McClatchy since 2020.
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