"I'm going to have a panic attack."

Includes video report

By Kate Northrop

COLUMBIA, S.C. — A South Carolina man overcame immense pressure to win a $500,000 prize in The Big Spin live lottery event.

A live South Carolina Lottery broadcast of The Big Spin this week featured a lucky, yet nervous, winner landing on the $500,000 spot on the prize wheel.

Johnny S. is a generous man whose goal is to put others first, even if it means overcoming a strong bout of nerves before participating in a live event.

It all started when the regular scratch-off player purchased a $10 "The Big Spin" instant ticket at John Boys on Spratt Street in Fort Mill a week before Christmas.

"The Big Spin" is a family of scratch-off games that offer both cash prizes and a chance to spin a real wheel at a live event for bigger cash prizes.

Johnny's ticket revealed that he would be a participant in the live show.

"I was trying to hold it together and drive safely on the way there," he told Lottery officials before spinning the wheel.

The Fort Mill resident told live host Amy Beattie that he hadn't found out that the ticket had earned him a spot on the show until the day after Christmas, which wasn't necessarily a bad thing.

"You guys actually happened to be closed, so I didn't get to find out until the next day, which really helped my nerves out," he joked.

In Johnny's show, spinning the wheel offered prizes ranging from $100,000 to $1 million. Although he hadn't yet spun the wheel to win a prize, he said he was already giving thought to how he would use the winnings once he won.

"I'm huge with giving back and helping people out," Johnny told Beattie. "I believe if God blesses you, you should bless other people as well. And then I'm going to try not to have a heart attack."

And with that, Johnny spun and landed on a $500,000 prize.

"How do you feel?" Beattie asked him in the Lottery studios after the win.

"I'm freaking out," Johnny replied after a deep breath. "I'm trying to hold it together."

Giant celebratory check in-hand, the utilities worker reaffirmed his intention to use the money to prioritize generous acts for those around him, including his family.

"I first want to help others," he said. "Then I want to do some things for my kids, and when my wife says she likes something, I'm going to show up with it for her."

"The Big Spin" scratch-off game at the $10 price point offers four top cash prizes of $500,000, of which there are three left to win. There are also three out of four second-tier prizes of $100,000 and 43 out of 60 third-tier prizes of $10,000 remaining in the game, which launched in November 2024.

If the player reveals a "$pin" symbol on the ticket, the ticket can be checked on the South Carolina Lottery's Players' Club App or at a retailer. Winning and non-winning tickets alike can also be entered in a second-chance promotion online for a chance to win up to $2 million in a live Studio Spin.

The overall odds of winning any cash prize in the game are 1 in 3.54.

VIDEO: Watch the event

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