Grocery worker plays lottery at his NC supermarket — and wins a huge prize
Now, the North Carolina prize winner hopes to buy a new home.
'This is a blessing,' Michael Guilford told the N.C. Education Lottery in an Aug. 1 news release.
Guilford won $250,000 at a Harris Teeter in Raleigh. While at the grocery store where he works, he tried his luck on the 20X the Cash game.
'Something was just pushing me to buy that ticket,' Guilford said. 'It was like instinct.'
It turns out, his intuition was spot on. He won a top prize in the $5 scratch-off game, which has proven to be lucky for him in the past.
'I won $1,000 on it a few years ago so I didn't want to give up on playing it,' Guilford told lottery officials.
The lucky winner, who lives in Raleigh, kept $179,376 after taxes.
It's not the first time a lottery player's gut feeling has paid off. Another North Carolina man felt drawn to an online game that made him richer, McClatchy News reported in July.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Miami Herald
2 days ago
- Miami Herald
$5 lottery ticket turns into ‘shocking' win for North Carolina woman. ‘Pinch me'
A woman spent $5 on a lottery ticket — and scored a prize worth celebrating. 'I was like, 'Pinch me,'' winner Sibyl Ackin told the North Carolina Education Lottery in an Aug. 12 news release. 'It was shocking.' Ackin was in disbelief when she learned she won $200,000. She couldn't wait to tell people she was getting richer. 'I told everybody,' the lucky winner said. 'I called my aunt first.' Ackin won big after stopping Sunday, Aug. 10, at a Circle K convenience store in Fayetteville, a roughly 65-mile drive south from Raleigh. While there, she tried her luck on a ticket for the Mega Bucks scratch-off game. It turns out, the ticket beat 1-in-1.2 million odds to score a top prize in the game. Though Ackin was skeptical at first, she has warmed up to her win. 'Now it feels real,' Ackin told lottery officials after she claimed her prize. The lucky winner, who lives in Fayetteville, kept $143,501 after taxes. She hopes to donate to her church and go on a family vacation to Florida. Four jackpots still remain in the game as of Aug. 12. It's not the first time a lottery player has rushed to share their good news. Another North Carolina winner jumped on a video call and told her kids she won millions, McClatchy News reported in July.
Miami Herald
6 days ago
- Miami Herald
Two lottery players win $189,000 jackpot in Georgia. Where were tickets sold?
Two lottery players pressed their luck — and both netted top prizes in Georgia. The lucky winners hit the Fantasy 5 jackpot, each winning $189,714 in the drawing Thursday, Aug. 7, according to the Georgia Lottery's website. The tickets, one sold in Marietta and the other purchased online by a Sandy Springs resident, matched all five numbers — 4-7-12-28-37. Officials didn't say if either winner has come forward as of Aug. 8. McClatchy News reached out to the Georgia Lottery for more information and was awaiting a response. Both players beat odds of 1 in 850,668 to snag the jackpot prize, according to the lottery's website. Additional information wasn't immediately available. Winners in Georgia have 180 days to claim prizes in draw games and are encouraged to sign the back of their tickets, the lottery's website says. Marietta is about a 20-mile drive northwest from downtown Atlanta.
Miami Herald
04-08-2025
- Miami Herald
Mega Millions ticket worth $100,000 is sold at a Publix in Florida. Here's where
A Mega Millions player just missed a jackpot prize — but still won big in Florida. The player bought a ticket that matched all but one number picked in the Aug. 1 drawing, making it worth $100,000, results show. The winning numbers: white balls 18-27-29-33-70, with gold Mega Ball 22. The lucky ticket was sold in Ormond Beach, a roughly 85-mile drive south from Jacksonville. It came from the Publix grocery store on West Granada Boulevard, the Florida Lottery told McClatchy News in an Aug. 4 email. The player is set to get richer after their ticket matched four white balls and the gold ball. The ticket was one number from hitting the jackpot, which stood at an estimated $140 million the night of the drawing, according to the Mega Millions website. The Florida Lottery in its email didn't say whether the $100,000 prize had been claimed. In the Sunshine State, the winners of drawing games have about six months to cash in, rules show. To score the jackpot in the Mega Millions, a player must match all five white balls and the gold Mega Ball. The odds of scoring a jackpot prize are 1 in 290,472,336. Tickets cost $5 and can be bought on the day of the drawing, but sales times vary by state. Drawings are held Tuesdays and Fridays at 11 p.m. ET and can be streamed online. Mega Millions is played in 45 states, Washington, D.C., and the U.S. Virgin Islands.
