Yancey County Man Wins $5 Million in Lottery

Jarett Allen of Burnsville said his dad enjoys playing the lottery so he decided to play with him on Thursday and won a $5 million top prize. “It was the first lottery ticket I’ve ever bought,” Allen laughed. He bought his lucky $30 200X The Cash ticket from Riverside General Store on U.S. 19 East in Burnsville. “My dad chose the ticket for me,” Allen recalled. Allen said he couldn’t believe he won $5 million on his first try. “I didn’t think it was real,” he said. “I thought I wasn’t looking at it right.” When Allen arrived at lottery headquarters Friday to collect his winnings, he had a decision to make. He could choose to receive his prize as an annuity of $250,000 over 20 years or a lump sum of $3 million. He chose the lump sum of $3 million and, after required state and federal tax withholdings, took home $2,152,508. Allen said he wants to use his winnings to help out his parents and then invest. The 200X The Cash game debuted in March of 2022 with six top prizes of $5 million and 18 $100,000 prizes. Since Allen won the last top prize, the lottery will begin the process of ending the game. For details on how money raised by the lottery made a difference for Yancey County education programs last year, visit www.nclottery.com and click on the “Impact” section.