A South Carolina man won a $100,000 Palmetto Cash 5 jackpot using numbers he had played for years on his wedding anniversary
Credit: Getty (2)
NEED TO KNOW
- A South Carolina man won a $100,000 Palmetto Cash 5 jackpot using numbers he had played for years
- He surprised his wife with the news on their wedding anniversary, making the day “extra special,” he told the South Carolina Education Lottery
- Lottery officials say that players have a 1 in 850,668 chance of winning a Palmetto Cash 5 jackpot, valued at $100,000
A South Carolina man was able to give his wife a major wedding anniversary gift after winning a lottery jackpot.
A man from Graniteville, S.C., located about 15 miles outside Augusta, Ga., was in for a major surprise when he checked to see if he had won the Palmetto Cash 5 on July 7 after buying a ticket from the town’s Pilot Travel Center on Bettis Academy Road, according to the South Carolina Education Lottery.
Lottery officials said the man, whose identity was not made public, had used the same five numbers he had been using for years. His commitment finally paid off, and he went home with a $100,000 Palmetto Cash 5 jackpot ticket.
His first thought was to tell his wife what had happened — and it just so happened to be their wedding anniversary.
“I told my wife, ‘I have an anniversary present for you. I think we won $100,000,’ ” he said, sharing that she initially didn’t believe him until she saw the numbers on his ticket for herself.
Credit: Getty
The couple said the winnings made their anniversary “extra special,” and the man still plans to keep using his lucky numbers whenever he plays again, according to the lottery.
The Pilot Travel Center in Graniteville also received a commission of $1,000 for selling the winning ticket. Lottery officials say that players have a 1 in 850,668 chance of winning a Palmetto Cash 5 jackpot.
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In 2025, a couple experienced a similar situation just one state over when a Cherryville, N.C. man won a $100,000 jackpot on their wedding anniversary — and his wife also had a hard time believing the news.
Jeffrey Douglas picked up the fated scratch-off lottery ticket from Times Turn Around on East Main Street in Lincolnton, N.C., according to a press release from the North Carolina Education Lottery.
He told lottery officials that it was a special day for such a big win playing the $10 Million Spectacular; Aug. 17 was also his and his wife’s wedding anniversary.
How did his wife reply to the big news? “I texted her a picture of the ticket and she said, ‘Call me,’ ” Douglas recalled with a laugh.
After taxes, Douglas and his wife were given $71,764 by lottery officials on Aug. 19.
“It was pretty awesome,” he gushed, adding, “It’s a blessing.”
If you or someone you know is struggling with a gambling problem, please contact the National Problem Gambling Helpline Network at 1-800-522-4700 or go to gamtalk.org.
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