Local man wins $2 million in scratch-off ticket bought in Cornelius

CORNELIUS, N.C. — A man from Cornelius took a chance on a $20 Diamond Dazzler scratch-off ticket and won a $2 million prize.

Neal Badolato won the winning ticket at the Harris Teeter on Catawba Avenue in Cornelius.

Badolato arrived at the lottery headquarters on Friday to collect his prize, and had to choose between receiving the prize as $100,000 a year for 20 years or a lump sum of $1.2 million.

Badolato chose the lump sum and walked away with $852,126 after state and federal tax withholdings.

The $2 million Diamond Dazzler debuted in January with four top prizes of $2 million and eight $100,000 prizes.

Two of the four top prizes and five of the $100,000 prizes are still unclaimed.

The North Carolina lottery said ticket sales raise more than $900 million per year for education.

Visit their website to see how the money is allocated.

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