Raleigh man says wife was ‘freaking out’ over second-chance NC lottery win
A Raleigh man’s lottery ticket wasn’t a winner. Then, a second-chance contest turned his luck around.
“This is wild,” Ray Abbott told North Carolina Education Lottery officials after winning $1 million in the Merry Million Second Chance drawing. “My wife is at home freaking out.”
Abbott claimed his winnings at lottery headquarters Feb. 13 and went with the lump sum option, taking home $432,060 after taxes, officials said.
As a Christmas tradition, Abbott said he gifts scratch-off tickets to his family during the holidays. He uploaded the non-winning tickets to his lottery account and was automatically entered into the Feb. 4 drawing, according to lottery officials.
One of them netted the $1 million top prize, beating out more than 35 million entries. There were also two $25,000 prize winners and 10 $5,000 winners.
“It’s just unbelievable,” Abbott said of the windfall. “I’m still in shock right now. This is crazy.”
The Raleigh man said he already has plans for his winnings, including taking his family on vacation.
This story was originally published February 16, 2026 at 1:21 PM.