Fayetteville Woman Wins $100,000 Scratch-Off Prize

Maehelen Gray from Fayetteville scored $100,000 on a $30 scratch-off. After taxes? She walked away with $72,018. The winning Cash Payday ticket came from Ramsey 24 Food Mart on Ramsey Street.

The $100,000 Cash Payday game started in March. Eighty top prizes were up for grabs when it launched. Nine people have claimed the big prize so far, which means seventy-one $100,000 tickets are still out there waiting to be scratched.

Gray bought her $30 ticket at the Ramsey Street store. It turned out to be her lucky day.

Last year, Cumberland County schools got $22.4 million from lottery funds. That money supports schools and programs where Gray lives. All 100 counties in North Carolina get a piece of lottery proceeds.

Cash Payday tickets cost $30 at stores across the state. Most top prizes haven't been claimed yet, so players still have good odds at hitting the $100,000 jackpot.

Gray showed up at headquarters on Wednesday to turn in her ticket. Any lottery prize over a certain amount gets taxes taken out automatically in North Carolina.

Ramsey 24 Food Mart sold the winner. The store is now part of a group of retailers that have sold top-prize tickets since March.