Wife scratches NC lottery ticket as husband pumps gas — then they win top prize

A man gave his wife a lottery ticket to scratch as he pumped gas in North Carolina — then they won $1 million.

Robert and Jennifer Lee of Pender County have now claimed one of the top prizes in the Emerald 10’s scratch-off game, the North Carolina Education Lottery announced Aug. 22.

The couple stopped at a Han-Dee Hugo’s gas station in Rocky Point, then the husband bought one of the $10 tickets and gave it to his wife, he told lottery officials.

“I was pumping gas while she scratched it,” he said. “She likes that ticket.”

That’s when they beat the 1-in-1,472,730 odds to win a life-changing prize.

“I’m going to buy a new set of lawn mower blades,” he told lottery officials. “That’s the only thing we really need.”

He added he and his wife “believe in karma.”

He chose to claim their winnings as a one-time lump sum of $600,000, which came out to $430,503 after taxes, the N.C. Education Lottery shared.

“We’ll just put it away and enjoy life,” he said.

Two more top prizes remain in the game, which debuted in April, according to lottery officials.

Pender County is part of the Wilmington metropolitan area.