After stopping for chicken wings, a man wins a $1 million lottery prize and plans to help his daughters.

A fortunate man visited the Shop ’n Save on Wilkesboro Boulevard in Lenoir to buy some chicken wings and decided to pick up a few lottery tickets on a whim. After trying several scratch-offs without success, one ticket kept drawing him back. It was like the ticket was speaking to me, he said in an interview with the North Carolina Education Lottery. Trusting his gut, he bought one more: the 20 Years scratch-off game, which ended up winning him a life-changing $1 million top prize. I felt great for my daughters; it secures their future. I've always worked for my girls, he said. Earlier this week, the lucky winner visited the North Carolina Education Lottery to claim his winnings. Faced with a decision, he chose a one-time lump sum of $600,000 instead of annual payments over 20 years. After taxes, his bank account grew by $432,066. When asked about his plans, he revealed he would set up a trust fund and savings for his two daughters.

On April 7, 2026, the North Carolina Education Lottery launched the 20 Years scratch-off ticket. Priced at $20, these tickets offer players a shot at winning between $20 and $1 million. The odds of hitting the jackpot with a top prize of $1 million are 1 in 1,194,060, and after a Wilkes County man’s win, one such prize is still available. The second-tier prize awards $20,000, with 90 prizes remaining and odds of 1 in 17,910.9. For lower prize tiers ranging from $500 to $20, many more prizes are still up for grabs. Overall, the odds of winning any prize in the 20 Years game are 1 in 3.45.