Myrtle Beach man finds $1 million Powerball winner in stack of old lottery tickets

For more than a month, the promise of riches sat untouched.

Then a Myrtle Beach man heard about an unclaimed $1 million lottery ticket sold at a Carolina Forest Scotchman. A search of his stack of old S.C. Education Lottery tickets and a visit to their website confirmed that one of the tickets that had lain dormant since June was a winner.

The winner — lottery officials did not release his name — said all he could do was sit and stare at the ticket afterward.

“I’ve been playing since the lottery started in South Carolina,” according to a press release with his comments. “The most I’ve won before was $12.”

He said his wife giggled when finding out the news.

The lottery win has now secured the couple’s “retirement and could possibly lead to a new home.”

The ticket for the June 6 drawing was sold at the Scotchman at 3225 Postal Way in the Carolina Forest area of Myrtle Beach. Its winning numbers were 8, 13, 18, 27, and 43. The Powerball number was 15. The odds of winning $1 million are 1 in 5,153,633, according state lottery officials.

If the new millionaire had spent an extra dollar for PowerPlay, his prize would have doubled to $2 million, lottery officials said. If the Powerball number matched, the jackpot would have been his, according to the release.

“I try not to think about that,” the winner said. “I’m just glad to know my footsteps had a little luck in them.”

The latest winner joins a growing list of lucky local players. Since last July, Myrtle Beach has had three $1 million or $2 million lottery winners.

South Carolina Education Lottery officials reported April 16 that a Myrtle Beach woman and her boyfriend won $100,000 from a “Joker Mania” scratch-off ticket.

The winning ticket was sold at the Circle K at 6501 N. Kings Highway in Myrtle Beach, according to a press release.

A $100,000 winning lottery ticket was sold at a Surfside Beach area store and determined to be the winner Feb. 11 after a drawing.

The winning Palmetto Cash 5 ticket was purchased from Murphy Express No. 8632 at 8737 U.S. 17 Bypass in Surfside Beach, lottery officials said in a news release.

Next Powerball drawing is Wednesday. The estimated jackpot is $60 million.

This story was originally published July 14, 2015 at 11:50 AM with the headline "Myrtle Beach man finds $1 million Powerball winner in stack of old lottery tickets."