Charlotte woman hides $1M winning lottery ticket under mattress: NC Lottery

CHARLOTTE ( QUEEN CITY NEWS ) — A Charlotte woman not only won the lottery, but also found a unique place to keep the ticket safe until she could claim her winnings, according to the North Carolina Lottery.

“We are so happy,” said Arely Mayorga Martinez.

She says her husband bought her a $10 Multiplier Mania scratch-off ticket at Shopton Commons BP on Steele Creek Road. Once Martinez realized they had a winning ticket for $1 million, she hid it for safekeeping.

“I couldn’t believe what I was seeing,” she said. “We hid it under our mattress.”

Martinez went to lottery headquarters in Raleigh to claim her winnings. She had two choices, $50,000 annually for 20 years or a lump sum of $600,000. Martinez chose the lump sum and took home $429,003 after taxes.

As for what to do with the winnings, Martinez says she can now live out her dream of buying a house.

The Multiplier Mania debuted in June 2023 with six $1 million top prizes. One of the $1 million has yet to be claimed.

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