Woman’s impatience pays off with $100K lottery scratch-off winner

CHARLOTTE, N.C. — This is one case where impatience was a virtue. And lucrative.

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A North Carolina woman, tired of waiting in line at a Publix customer service counter to buy a scratch-off ticket, instead walked over to a lottery vending machine. That last-minute decision at the supermarket earned her a $100,000 payday after she bought a $25 Spectacular Riches ticket.

“The lady in front of me at the counter was taking too long so I walked over to the machine to buy there instead,” Debra Ross, of Charlotte, told North Carolina Education Lottery officials in a news release. “I saw the amount and was like, ‘Oh my God, that’s $100,000.’”

Ross, 61, a network engineer, bought the winning ticket on Friday in Charlotte, lottery officials said.

“That was a good Friday on Good Friday,” Ross said.

Ross collected her prize at lottery headquarters on Monday. After state and federal taxes, she netted $71,257, lottery officials said.

“I am very, very happy,” Ross said in a statement. “Happy and smiling.”

Ross said she would use her winnings to pay bills and will put the remainder in her savings account.