Lucky NC resident wins $1m from second-chance promotion

• A second-chance promotion brought a life-changing prize to an incredibly fortunate North Carolina man
• The winner took down the $1m top prize from the North Carolina Education Lottery's Merry Million Second Chance drawing
• The Raleigh man's win is exceptional, considering that more than 35 million entries were recorded

An incredibly fortunate man won a million-dollar prize after registering non-winning tickets.

The lucky man, a Raleigh, North Carolina resident, emerged as the winner in the Merry Million Second Chance drawing, the North Carolina Education Lottery announced.

"This is wild"

The Merry Million Second Chance drawing was held on February 4, 2026.

Besides the top prize of $1m, the second chance promotion awarded two prizes of $25,000, as well as 10 prizes of $5,000.

Undoubtedly, the Raleigh man will always remember this prize, considering the fact that he won the $1m top prize in a pool of more than 35 million total entries for the second chance drawing.

Interestingly, a Christmas tradition helped the man win the life-changing million-dollar second chance prize.

That is because the Raleigh man said that he purchases tickets to family members for Christmas and puts them in stockings.

After scanning the 2025 holiday scratch-offs with his lottery account, the man automatically entered the second chance drawing.

He was in shock after receiving a notification from the North Carolina Education Lottery app, informing him he won the $1m top prize.

"This is wild. My wife is at home freaking out," the man said to an official from the Lottery.

"It’s just unbelievable. I’m still in shock right now. This is crazy," the man added.

On Friday, the incredibly fortunate winner visited the Lottery headquarters to claim his big win.

As with other prizes of such size, the Raleigh man was given the chance to collect the full sum via annuity payments of $50,000 for 20 years, or take home a one-time lump cash sum of $600,000.

The lucky man chose the latter option and, after the applicable state and federal taxes, saw his bank account increase by $432,060.

Asked about his plans for his newfound fortune, the lucky Raleigh man admitted that he will use it to go on vacation with his family, pay bills and save the rest for retirement.

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