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Tag: NC lottery

  • Lottery player keeps checking lucky NC ticket. ‘I did about three or four takes’

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    A lottery player won a big prize — and “could barely believe her eyes.”

    Schuprell Hinnant kept checking her scratch-off ticket after she learned it was worth $100,000.

    “I did about three or four takes,” Hinnant told the North Carolina Education Lottery in an Oct. 20 news release.

    She wasn’t the only person who had trouble grasping the six-figure prize.

    “I called my mom and said, ‘I think I won,’” Hinnant told lottery officials. “She was in disbelief.”

    The daughter got a big reason to celebrate after stopping at Papa Jacks Store in Kenly, a roughly 35-mile drive southeast from downtown Raleigh. While there, she spent $30 on her winning ticket for the Max-a-Million game.

    “I was just like, ‘This isn’t real,’” Hinnant said.

    The lucky winner, who lives in Kenly, kept $71,758 after taxes. Now, she hopes to “take care of her mom” by helping her to get a screened-in porch, according to lottery officials.

    It’s not the first time a lottery player couldn’t stop looking at their ticket. Another North Carolina winner “did a triple take” when he scored a life-changing prize, McClatchy News reported in August.

    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 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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  • 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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  • Lottery players win $25,000 a year on back-to-back nights in North Carolina

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    Two lottery players won big on back-to-back nights in North Carolina — but might not know it yet.

    The players bought tickets that scored second-tier prizes in the Lucky for Life game, making each one of them worth $25,000 a year for life, results show.

    So, where were the winning tickets sold? Here’s what the N.C. Education Lottery wrote in an email to McClatchy News and on the social media platform X:

    Lottery officials have told McClatchy News they can’t pinpoint where players are when they buy tickets online. But they know the person who kicked off the winning streak lives in Clarkton, a roughly 50-mile drive northwest from Wilmington.

    Here are the winning numbers from the two drawings:

    • Oct. 6: white balls 6-11-30-34-39, with gold Lucky Ball 10
    • Oct. 5: white balls 4-23-25-32-40, with gold Lucky Ball 16

    The two Eastern North Carolina winners have a lot to celebrate after matching all five white balls picked in their respective drawings. But each of their $2 tickets was one number from scoring the game’s top prize of $1,000 a day for life, rules show.

    As of early Oct. 7, a lottery spokesperson said the lucky ticket holders hadn’t claimed their prizes. In North Carolina, 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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  • ‘Started shaking all over.’ NC dad hits ‘life-changing’ top prize in new lottery game.

    ‘Started shaking all over.’ NC dad hits ‘life-changing’ top prize in new lottery game.

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    A North Carolina dad thirsty for a drink hit the top $250,000 prize in a scratch-off game that debuted the same day, lottery officials said on Saturday, Feb. 10, 2024.

    A North Carolina dad thirsty for a drink hit the top $250,000 prize in a scratch-off game that debuted the same day, lottery officials said on Saturday, Feb. 10, 2024.

    A Gastonia dad stopped at a convenience store for a drink on Tuesday when something told him to buy a ticket in a new scratch-off game, too, lottery officials said Saturday.

    He’s glad he did, as he hit the top $250,000 prize in the $5 20X The Cash game that debuted the same day, according to a lottery news release.

    Gastonia resident Joshua Ramsey beat odds of about 1 in 1.3 million, according to the 20X The Cash game page on NC Lottery.com.

    “This is life-changing for us,” Ramsey said when he claimed his prize at lottery headquarters in Raleigh on Friday. “I’m going to buy my family a home.”

    When Ramsey went to Mike’s Food Store on South York Road in Gastonia for the drink, “something was just telling me to get that ticket.,” he said. “I’m sure glad I did.”

    Ramsey won the first top prize in the game and said he “was absolutely blown away” by the amount he won.

    “I started shaking all over,” he said. “It’s one of those experiences you’ll never forget.” Ramsey said his sister and his son “were both just over the moon ecstatic” when he called them.

    After taxes, he took home $178,751, according to the lottery. He said he’ll also consider buying a car.

    His win trimmed the number of top prizes available in the game to nine.

    A North Carolina dad hit the top prize in a new $5 scratch-off game with a ticket bought at this food mart/convenience store, lottery officials said.
    A North Carolina dad hit the top prize in a new $5 scratch-off game with a ticket bought at this food mart/convenience store, lottery officials said. Street View image from September 2023. © 2024 Google

    This story was originally published February 10, 2024, 2:51 PM.

    Joe Marusak has been a reporter for The Charlotte Observer since 1989 covering the people, municipalities and major news events of the region, and was a news bureau editor for the paper. He currently reports on breaking news.
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