‘I was about to cry’: Johnston County man wins $250K from lottery scratch-off ticket

Note: The accompanying video explains lottery odds in North Carolina.

CLAYTON, N.C. (WNCN) — A Johnston County man on his way to work won $250,000 from a scratch-off ticket, lottery officials said.

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According to the North Carolina Education Lottery, Kevin Pavel of Clayton purchased a 500X The Cash ticket for $50 from Bull Market on Airport Boulevard in Morrisville on Monday, which turned into a $250,000 prize.

“It was amazing,” Pavel said in a statement. “I was about to cry.”

Added Pavel in his statement, “It was a good hit.”

According to NC Lottery, Pavel’s wife couldn’t believe what he won.

“She didn’t believe me,” he said in his statement. “I had to show her a picture of the ticket.”

Pavel visited the lottery headquarters in Raleigh on Monday to claim his prize. He took home $180,039 after the required state and federal tax withholdings, according to the NC Lottery.

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Lottery officials said Pavel plans to use his winnings to pay bills and save up for his retirement.

According to NC Lottery, the 500X The Cash game debuted in January with five top prizes of $10 million, all of which remain to be claimed. Seven of the 10 $250,000 prizes are unclaimed as of Tuesday.

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