Wake County construction manager 'multiplies' $20 ticket into $4 million win

Jason Keel of Raleigh purchased a $20 scratch-off ticket and “multiplied” his luck into a $4 million top prize.

Keel, a division manager for a construction company, purchased his lucky 100X The Cash ticket on Saturday at the Fuel Stop on Little Brier Creek Lane in Raleigh.

He said he usually just scans his scratch-off tickets using the N.C. Lottery Official Mobile app instead of scratching it. “It said I had to go to the claims center,” recalled Keel. “So, then I scratched the numbers and just saw a 4 and I thought it was $4,000. When I hit the end and saw $4 million, at that point I was in shock!”

Keel claimed his prize at lottery headquarters in Raleigh on Tuesday. He had the choice of taking the $4 million as an annuity paid out as $200,000 a year over 20 years or a lump sum of $2.4 million. He chose the lump sum and after state and federal tax withholdings, Keel took home $1,698,006.

“No purchases at this point,” Keel said of what he plans to do with his winnings. “I’ll be saving.”