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Gerald Hunter Jr. of Concord tried his luck on a new Diamond Mine 9X ticket and became the first winner of the game’s $200,000 top prize.

Hunter purchased his $5 ticket from the Church Street BP on Church Street North in Concord. He claimed his prize Friday at lottery headquarters in Raleigh and, after federal and state tax withholdings, took home $141,501.

Diamond Mine 9X launched earlier this month with four top prizes of $200,000. Three remain to be won.

Ticket sales from scratch-offs like Diamond Mine 9X make it possible for the lottery to raise more than $725 million per year for education. For details on how $14.7 million raised by the lottery made a difference in Cabarrus County in 2020, visit www.nclottery.com and click on the “Impact” section.