Grandmother’s lottery ticket tradition lands grandchild a $150,000 Christmas gift

Grandmother’s lottery ticket tradition lands grandchild a $150,000 Christmas gift

In the company of more than 20 family members, Gracie Burgess of Apex scratched away on a $5 Peppermint Payout ticket she got from her grandmother to find she was a top prize winner of $150,000.

“It was a little chaotic,” she said of the big moment.

It’s a tradition that her grandmother has done for years, giving everyone lottery tickets at Christmas, she told lottery officials. In response to such a major win, she said her grandmother was quite emotional.

“She was in tears,” Burgess said. “She loved it.”

Lottery officials said the winning ticket was purchased at the Han-Dee Hugo’s on Jenks Road in Apex. After the necessary taxes and withholdings, Burgess took home just over $107,600 from NC Education Lottery Headquarters in Raleigh on Monday.

While still a shock from such a big win, lottery officials asked her what the money might go toward. Burgess said mostly savings, and to also help her fix up her car.

The Peppermint Payout game started up in November with three top prizes of $150,000. Just one remains to be won.

Copyright 2026 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.