Man wins $2M from lottery ticket bought at friend's urging

March 10 (UPI) -- A North Carolina man learned that peer pressure sometimes can be profitable after a friend urged him to try out some scratch-off lottery tickets and he won a $2 million top prize.

James Gibbs Jr., of Greensboro, told North Carolina Education Lottery officials he was at a store in the city with a friend when the other man urged him to try his luck with some lottery tickets.

Both men won small prizes on their tickets, but the store didn't have the money to cash them out.

"So, my friend was like, 'We can go across the street,'" Gibbs recalled.

They went across the street to the Pantry Shop, where Gibbs cashed out his winnings and decided to try his luck again with a few 100X The Cash scratch-off tickets.

"The first one had $20 on it," he said. "And the second one had the big prize on it."

The big prize was a $2 million jackpot.

Gibbs said he is looking forward to using his money to help others.

"A big portion of this will go to the church I attend. I can do some more remodeling work to my house and just keep on working," he said.