Lottery player buys last ticket on the shelf. Then she wins jackpot in South Carolina

A South Carolina woman bought the last ticket on the rack of Giant Jumbo Bucks scratch-offs from a convenience store in Aiken. That ticket won $250,000.

The woman told lottery officials the winning ticket was the “best surprise of my life.”

She said she hadn’t felt particularly lucky but grabbed the last ticket anyway. After paying for the $5 ticket, she scratched it off right in the store.

“I’m not telling anyone,” she told lottery officials.

The woman had a 1 in 960,000 chance of winning, and after claiming her prize leaves four $250,000 tickets remaining.

Aiken is about 20 miles northeast of Augusta, Georgia.

This story was originally published January 27, 2023 at 3:54 PM with the headline "Lottery player buys last ticket on the shelf. Then she wins jackpot in South Carolina."

Irene Wright

McClatchy DC

Irene Wright is a McClatchy Real-Time reporter. She earned a B.A. in ecology and an M.A. in health and medical journalism from the University of Georgia and is now based in Atlanta. Irene previously worked as a business reporter at The Dallas Morning News.