North Carolina Man 'Elated' After Staggering $1 Million Lottery Win

A man in North Carolina is celebrating one the best days of his life after scoring a $1 million lottery prize.

Costa Walton, of Mint Hill, stopped by the Flash Market on Old Monroe Road in Indian Trail on Wednesday (July 6) where he picked up a $30 Millionaire Maker scratch-off ticket, according to a release from the NC Education Lottery. It wasn't until he got home and scratched the ticket, however, that he realized just how lucky he was.

"First I looked at [his wife], then I looked at it again," he recalled. "We had to keep looking at it to make sure our eyes weren't deceiving us."

In reality, his eyes were showing the truth: He was the lucky winner of the $1 million prize.

"It's one of the happiest days of my life," he said. "And I'm almost 70."

Walton claimed his prize at lottery headquarters on Thursday (July 7), where he could choose one of two options to accept his winnings. He could either get the $1 million as an annuity of $50,000 per year over the course of 20 years or he could receive his prize as a one time, lump sum payment of $600,000. In the end, he chose the latter, taking home a staggering $426,069 after all required state and federal tax withholdings.

When asked what he plans to do with his new winnings, he told lottery officials he hopes to help out his family and pay some bills. However he chooses to spend his prize, he's excited that he even won.

"I guess this was my lucky time," he said. "I'm just elated."