A lucky bloke in the USA has become a millionaire after using a lucky coin containing his wedding date to scratch off a USD 2 million prize.
Bobby Gary, from the town of Chapel Hill, North Carolina State, USA, found the coin while cleaning his car one day, and decided to keep it because it reminded him of his wife.
Gary said in a statement obtained by Newsflash from North Carolina Education Lottery: “It was a Chuck E. Cheese coin from 2010, which just happens to be the year we got married.
“I said, ‘I feel like it is going to bring me luck. And it did.’
“I was cleaning out the car and found it underneath the seat. I told myself, ‘I am going to scratch with this until l get lucky’.
And he ended up amazed several days later when he used it to scratch off a USD 20 (GBP 16) Mega 7’s ticket from a local Harris Teeter supermarket, which uncovered a USD 2 million (GBP 1.6 million) prize.
Bobby said: “I called my wife and told her, ‘I just scratched a USD 2 million [GBP 1.6 million] ticket’.
“I was bawling my eyes out when I called her. I was just so happy.
“She still was like, ‘Show me’. I said ‘I’m on my way’.
“Ten minutes later I was in her office, showing her the ticket.”
Gary was given the option to choose between taking a USD 1.2 million (GBP 947,004) lump sum or receiving the prize in annual payments of USD 100,000 (GBP 78,922) over the next 20 years on Thursday, 29th June.
He chose the lump sum and went home with USD 851,174 (GBP 671,746) following federal and state taxes.
Bobby said: “If we do it right, this sets us up for the rest of our lives.”
He revealed that the plans to use the money to pay the bills, and use the rest for an investment and a new house.
North Carolina Education Lottery said: “Mega 7’s debuted in October with four USD 2 million [GBP 1.6 million] prizes and eight USD 100,000 [GBP 78,922] prizes.
“Since Gary won the last top prize, the lottery will begin the process of ending the game.”
