Lottery ticket’s price is right for SC woman who won grand prize after years of trying

For the past five years, a woman has been spending the exact same amount of money to buy lottery tickets, according to South Carolina Education Lottery officials.

The Aiken woman’s dedication to only buying $3 scratch-off tickets finally paid off, as she won a lottery game’s $100,000 grand prize, officials said in a news release.

“I told myself that one day I was going to win it,” she said in the release.

That day came when she stopped after getting breakfast to purchase a scratch-off game at the Price Shell gas station/convenience store on Whiskey Road in Aiken, according to the release.

She took the crossword-style ticket home, and while sitting on her porch she scratched the ticket to reveal the six-figure prize, officials said.

Despite her determination and belief, the woman said “I couldn’t believe it,” of finally uncovering a big winner, according to the release.

The woman didn’t say what she plans to to do with her newfound windfall, but did tell officials she’s going to continue playing lottery games — at a specific price. She’s going to stick to her routine, saying she’ll only be buying $3 tickets.

The winner will be allowed to retain some privacy, as South Carolina is one of 11 states — along with Arizona, Delaware, Georgia, Kansas, Maryland, New Jersey, North Dakota, Ohio, Texas and Virginia — that allow lottery winners to remain anonymous.

The odds of winning the top prize in the Lady Jumbo Bucks Crossword game were 1-in-600,000, according to the release. One of the game’s eight top prize-winning tickets remain unclaimed, officials said.

The Price Shell received a commission of $1,000 for selling the claimed ticket, according to the release.