Raleigh, N.C. — John Rogers decided to treat himself two days ahead of Father’s Day.
On Friday, the Raleigh man decided to buy a $20 scratch-off lottery ticket. It led to him winning a $2 million prize.
“When I was buying the tickets I said, ‘This is my Father’s Day gift to myself,’” Rogers said. “This will be one Father’s Day I’ll never forget.”
Rogers, 64, bought his lucky $100 Million Mega Cash ticket from Capital Food Mart on Capital Boulevard in Raleigh.
“I was kind of delirious to tell you the truth,” Rogers said. “It still hasn’t really hit me yet.”
When Rogers arrived at lottery headquarters to collect his prize, he had a decision to make. He could choose to receive the prize as an annuity of $100,000 over 20 years or a lump sum of $1.2 million. He chose the lump-sum amount of $1.2 million, according to the lottery. After required state and federal tax withholdings, Rogers took home $852,126, the lottery said.
“My wife told me, ‘You don’t have pocket change, you’ve got money now,’” Rogers said.
Rogers plans to pay some bills, donate money to his church and help some family members. He also wants to use part of his winnings for a special vacation with his wife.
“I’ve always told her I was going to take her to Hawaii and now I can,” Rogers said.
The $100 Million Mega Cash page on the lottery website shows Rogers’ odds were 1 in 3.2 million.
The $100 Million Mega Cash game debuted in May with four top prizes of $2 million and eight $100,000 prizes. Two $2 million prizes and six $100,000 prizes remain to be claimed.
Ticket sales from scratch-off games make it possible for the lottery to raise more than $900 million per year for education.
