Most people would count themselves extremely lucky to win the lottery once, let alone twice. But when 49-year-old Scotty Thomas of Fayetteville, North Carolina couldn’t remember whether he’d already bought a lottery ticket for the November 27 Lucky for Life drawing, that’s exactly what happened. 

“I was just laying in bed watching a basketball game on TV and I couldn’t remember if I filled it out or not,” said Thomas, per the North Carolina Education Lottery. “I went ahead and filled it out again, and the next morning my son asked why there were two different amounts listed. I realized, ‘I think I filled it out twice.’” 

The prize Thomas won is one of the Lucky for Life drawing’s largest, second only to a $1,000-a-day-for-life payout, according to the lottery. 

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“When I realized I won, I had to lay down on the floor because I really just couldn’t believe it,” Thomas said. “It’s just a blessing.”

Thomas, a dump-truck operator, had a life-changing decision before him. He could take both prizes as annuities, netting $50,000 total each year; take one as an annuity, receiving $25,000 a year, and the other as a lump-sum payment of $390,000; or take both as lump sums for a total of $780,000. 

Thomas chose to take a lump sum for both tickets for a total of $551,851 after taxes, the lottery said. He plans to use the money to invest in his business, pay off bills, help his family and potentially buy a house. 

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