Charlotte Resident Claims $100,000 Prize on $50 Scratch-Off Ticket

Carlos Watson won big. The Charlotte man scored $100,000 playing a scratch-off game and collected his prize Friday at lottery headquarters. After taxes got taken out, he walked away with $72,024.

Watson bought his winning $8 million Money Maker ticket from Joe's Kwik Marts on University City Boulevard. Bills need paying. His house needs work. That's where the money will go.

"It's going to really help us out a lot," Watson said, according to Queen City News.

Watson said the win came at just the right moment for his family. "Everything happens for a reason," Watson said.

The $8 Million Money Maker game started in December 2024. It offered five top prizes worth $8 million each and ten prizes at $100,000. Three of those massive $8 million prizes haven't been claimed. Four $100,000 prizes are still out there waiting.

Tickets remain on sale at stores across North Carolina. Each one costs $50.

Schools in Mecklenburg County got $60 million from lottery money last year, according to the North Carolina Education Lottery. Want to see how lottery funds helped all 100 counties? Check the lottery's website and look for the "Impact" section.

Joe's Kwik Marts on University City Boulevard sold Watson his winning ticket. The store sits in the University City section of Charlotte.

Winners get 180 days after a game ends to claim what they won. The North Carolina Education Lottery makes winners show ID and bring their winning ticket to headquarters.

Prizes over $600 get taxed. The state takes its cut for North Carolina taxes. The federal government grabs a chunk too.