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NC man saw shiny lottery ticket that said he could win $1M. He hit the jackpot.

A North Carolina man stopped at his local gas station and saw a purple and gold lottery ticket that said he could win $1 million. He bought one and hit the jackpot, lottery officials said Thursday.
A North Carolina man stopped at his local gas station and saw a purple and gold lottery ticket that said he could win $1 million. He bought one and hit the jackpot, lottery officials said Thursday. NC EDUCATION LOTTERY

A Lake Norman-area man stopped at his local gas station and saw a shiny purple and gold lottery ticket that said he could win $1 million. He bought one and hit the jackpot, N.C. lottery officials said Thursday, May 8, 2025.

Huntersville resident Kenneth Dormady bought his $30 Max-A-Million scratch-off ticket at the Gas House convenience store on Hambright Road.

He beat odds of 1 in 2.95 million, according to the Max-A-Million game page on NC Lottery.com

A North Carolina man stopped at his local gas station and saw a shiny purple and gold lottery ticket that said he could win $1 million. He bought one and hit the jackpot, NC lottery officials said Thursday, May 8, 2025.
A North Carolina man stopped at his local gas station and saw a shiny purple and gold lottery ticket that said he could win $1 million. He bought one and hit the jackpot, NC lottery officials said Thursday, May 8, 2025. Street View image from September 2007. © 2025 Google

Dormady didn’t say what he’ll do with his big win when he claimed his prize at lottery headquarters in Raleigh on Wednesday. He declined to comment when reached by The Charlotte Observer on Thursday.

Dormady could choose a $50,000 annuity over 20 years or a $600,000 lump sum. He chose the lump sum and took home $600,000 after taxes.

The game debuted in March with 25 prizes of $1 million and 10 prizes of $100,000. Twenty $1 million prizes and 10 $100,000 prizes remain to be claimed, according to the lottery.

Joe Marusak
The Charlotte Observer
Joe Marusak has been a reporter for The Charlotte Observer since 1989 covering the people, municipalities and major news events of the region, and was a news bureau editor for the paper. He currently reports on breaking news. Support my work with a digital subscription
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