‘No more overtime.’ Man hungering for chicken buys SC lottery ticket and hits jackpot

Going out for chicken paid off big for a South Carolina man, when he made a snap decision to stop at a convenience store and buy a state lottery ticket.

The 200X scratch-off ticket was worth $500,000, the South Carolina Education Lottery said in a news release.

It led to a rare instance of a grown man crying and not being afraid to admit it.

“I cried, and I don’t cry,” he told lottery officials. “No more overtime.”

The man, who was not identified, beat odds of 1 in 800,000 to win a top prize in the game, officials said.

He bought the $10 ticket at the Fuel Express on North Highway 17 in Moncks Corner “and scratched it sitting in his car outside the store,” officials said. The store is north of Charleston.

His initial reaction was to question if the ticket was legitimate, so he went back into the store and had the clerk examine it, officials said.

“The retailer looked at the ticket and told me to go home and not tell anyone,” he said.

Of course, he immediately told his wife, calling from a cell phone in the parking lot. She didn’t believe it, either.

“I still don’t think it has hit her yet that we won,” he said.

The winner plans to use the cash “to pay off his house ... and enjoy life,” but doesn’t intend to quit working.

The $500,000 counted as the last top prize available in 200X, which means the game has ended.

“Fuel Express in Moncks Corner received a commission of $5,000 for selling the claimed ticket,” lottery officials said.

This story was originally published February 18, 2022 at 9:56 AM with the headline "‘No more overtime.’ Man hungering for chicken buys SC lottery ticket and hits jackpot."