A Moore County woman’s $10 gamble on a scratch-off ticket paid off in a big way this week.
Debra Long of Vass scored the $1 million top prize after buying a Jumbo Bucks ticket at the Harris Teeter on U.S. 15-501 in Aberdeen.
When she visited lottery headquarters on Wednesday, Long had two choices: take $50,000 a year for 20 years or walk away with a lump sum of $600,000. She chose the lump sum. After state and federal taxes, she pocketed $430,503.
The Jumbo Bucks game launched in August 2024 with eight $1 million prizes. So far, five have been claimed, leaving three still out there for lucky players to find.
According to the N.C. Education Lottery, the game has helped raise millions for schools. In Moore County alone, $5.2 million from lottery funds went to education programs last year.
