Becoming a millionaire has changed a South Carolina man who won lottery jackpot

Things have changed for a Midlands man.

The Sumter resident said he feels “different” after winning a seven-figure jackpot, South Carolina Education Lottery officials said Tuesday in a news release.

The man says he’s relaxed and his worries about retirement are gone after winning $1 million on a scratch-off game, according to the release.

But he didn’t trust his eyes when he revealed the top prize in the Bonus Match game, lottery officials said.

“Seeing “$1 MIL” on the ticket didn’t look real,” he said in the release.

The magnitude of the win didn’t hit him until after he cashed in the ticket, lottery officials said.

Other than saying “This will take care of me,” the winner did not tell lottery officials how he will spend the money from the windfall.

The man’s name was not released because South Carolina is one of eight states — along with Delaware, Georgia, Kansas, Maryland, North Dakota, Ohio and Texas — that allow lottery winners to remain anonymous.

The winning scratch-off game was bought for $10 at the Four Way Food Mart on Pinewood Road, according to the release. That’s in Sumter, about six miles south of downtown.

The gas station/convenience store received a commission of $10,000 for selling the claimed winning ticket, according to the release.

Lottery officials said the odds of winning $1,000,000 in Bonus Match were 1-in-1,440,000. One top prize remains in the game, with three having been claimed, according to lottery officials.

Players can enter their non-winning ($10) $1,000,000 Bonus Match tickets into a second-chance drawing for a chance to win $1 million, according to the release. For more information on the $1,000,000 Bonus Match Second-Chance Drawing, go to sceducationlottery.com.