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Tag: jackpot win

  • Lottery player turning 21 gets ‘birthday gift she’ll never forget’ — a big win

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    A lottery player bought a ticket — and received a “birthday gift she’ll never forget.”

    Emily Millan Giron hit the jackpot days before she turned 21 years old.

    “I was overwhelmed,” the lucky winner told the North Carolina Education Lottery in an Oct. 17 news release.

    Giron won $200,000 after stopping at a Sam’s Mart store in Charlotte. While there, she spent $5 on a ticket for the Jurassic Park scratch-off game.

    The 20-year-old player checked her ticket, revealing she had beaten 1-in-1.3 million odds to win a top prize in the game. She was with her mom when she learned how much she won.

    “She was really surprised too,” Giron said.

    The winner lives in Indian Trail, a roughly 15-mile drive southeast from uptown Charlotte. She kept $143,501 after taxes but isn’t sure how she will spend the prize money yet.

    It’s not the first time a winning ticket has given someone an extra reason to celebrate. Another North Carolina lottery player claimed a record-breaking prize on her birthday, McClatchy News reported in 2024.

    Many people can gamble or play games of chance without harm. However, for some, gambling is an addiction that can ruin lives and families.

    If you or a loved one shows signs of gambling addiction, you can seek help by calling the national gambling hotline at 1-800-522-4700 or visiting the National Council on Problem Gambling website.

    Simone Jasper

    The News & Observer

    Simone Jasper is a reporter covering breaking stories for The News & Observer and real-time news in the Carolinas.

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    Simone Jasper

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  • Two lottery players hit jackpots at Publix stores in Florida. Here’s where

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    Two lucky lottery players hit the jackpot on back-to-back nights in Florida.

    The players bought Fantasy 5 tickets that matched all the numbers picked in the Oct. 7 and Oct. 8 evening drawings, making each of them worth more than $100,000, results show.

    Both of the winning tickets came from Publix grocery stores. Here’s what the Florida Lottery shared about the prizes on its website and in news releases:

    • $106,751.29 ticket sold in Hernando
    • $113,722.88 ticket sold in Gainesville

    The player in Hernando, a roughly 75-mile drive northwest from Orlando, won big Oct. 7. The lucky streak continued the next night when a person won even more cash in Gainesville, about 110 miles northwest from Orlando.

    Fantasy 5 offers tickets starting at $1. To score the jackpot prize, a person’s ticket must match all five numbers picked in a drawing. Here are the winning numbers from the recent drawings:

    • Oct. 7: 5-26-27-30-31
    • Oct. 8: 18-19-21-24-29

    As of early Oct. 9, the Florida Lottery said only the Hernando player had claimed their prize. In the Sunshine State, the winners of drawing games have about six months to come forward.

    Many people can gamble or play games of chance without harm. However, for some, gambling is an addiction that can ruin lives and families.

    If you or a loved one shows signs of gambling addiction, you can seek help by calling the national gambling hotline at 1-800-522-4700 or visiting the National Council on Problem Gambling website.

    Simone Jasper

    The News & Observer

    Simone Jasper is a reporter covering breaking stories for The News & Observer and real-time news in the Carolinas.

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  • Lottery player waited for jackpot to grow. It paid off big time in North Carolina

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    A lottery player waited for a jackpot to grow — and it paid off big time in North Carolina.

    Shawn Gallagher learned he won a $539,813 prize, and he shared the good news with his wife.

    “She wanted to kiss me,” the lucky winner told the N.C. Education Lottery in an Oct. 7 news release.

    Gallagher won big after he kept an eye on the jackpot for the Carolina Cash 5 game. After the top prize exceeded a half-million dollars, he decided to spend $1 on an online ticket.

    “I have a fear of missing out when it’s a big pot,” Gallagher told lottery officials.

    It turns out, his ticket beat 1-in-962,598 odds to match all the numbers picked in the Oct. 4 drawing. Now, he hopes to put his prize money toward bills and his mortgage.

    While lottery officials originally said Gallagher was from Hertford County, a spokesperson later told McClatchy News via email that he lives in Franklin County. The winner kept $387,317 after taxes.

    Many people can gamble or play games of chance without harm. However, for some, gambling is an addiction that can ruin lives and families.

    If you or a loved one shows signs of gambling addiction, you can seek help by calling the national gambling hotline at 1-800-522-4700 or visiting the National Council on Problem Gambling website.

    Simone Jasper

    The News & Observer

    Simone Jasper is a reporter covering breaking stories for The News & Observer and real-time news in the Carolinas.

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    Simone Jasper

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