Jeanette King of Greenville has claimed the first $1 million top prize in a new Jackpot Millions scratch-off game after buying her ticket on Evans Street in Greenville. The $20 ticket turned into the game’s first headline win, and King went to lottery headquarters on Monday to collect it.
The timing matters because Jackpot Millions debuted this month with three $1 million top prizes, and two are still unclaimed. King’s win gives the game an early jolt and gives players a reason to keep looking, especially since the first top prize has now been taken off the board.
When King arrived at lottery headquarters on Monday, she had to make a choice that changed the shape of the payout. She could take $50,000 a year for 20 years or accept a $600,000 lump sum. She chose the lump sum, which is smaller than the advertised top prize but puts the money in hand right away.
The trade-off did not end there. After required tax withholdings, King took home $432,066. That gap is the fine print behind many big lottery wins: the top prize gets the attention, but the amount a winner actually receives can be far lower once the payout option and taxes are applied.
For Jackpot Millions, the first win also changes the game itself. A new scratch-off title always has the pull of fresh tickets and untouched prizes, but once the first $1 million winner is gone, the remaining top prizes become the story. Two are still waiting to be claimed, and that is the number players will watch now.
Before Monday, King had already done the part that matters most in a lottery win: she bought the ticket. After Monday, she became the name attached to the game’s first top prize, and the next question is no longer who won first but who gets the next chance at $1 million.
