Latest news with #NorthCarolinaEducationLottery
Miami Herald
5 days ago
- Business
- Miami Herald
Lottery player wins $1 million jackpot in NC — and it's not her first time
A North Carolina woman turned her $2 lottery ticket into a life-changing prize — and it's not the first time. Licette Griffin of Greensboro recalled 'buckling to the floor' after realizing she'd won a $1.16 million instant jackpot, the North Carolina Education Lottery said in a July 25 news release. She tried her luck at the Wheel of Bonuses digital instant game on July 18 and hit the jackpot, beating odds of 1-in-15.5 million to snag the top prize, officials said. 'I literally went to the floor I was so weak at the knees,' Griffin told the lottery. Luck struck twice for the Greensboro woman, who won $1 million on a $10 Jumbo Bucks scratcher in 2022, according to officials. She said she predicted that win but didn't think it would happen again. 'My brain did not catch up with what was actually happening,' Griffin told the lottery of her most recent win. 'I was not expecting that.' She claimed her winnings July 24, and took home $836,318 after taxes The windfall was extra special, coming the day after her husband's birthday, she told officials. 'He wanted a pair of shoes for his birthday, so we went to Tanger and bought two pairs instead,' Griffin said, according to the lottery. Griffin said she has other plans for her winnings, including paying off her home and putting money away for retirement. Greensboro is about an 80-mile drive northwest from downtown Raleigh.
Miami Herald
18-07-2025
- General
- Miami Herald
Lottery player used the same numbers for 16 years. He's finally a jackpot winner
A lottery player used the same numbers for 16 years — and he's finally a jackpot winner. Paul Bierwirth's longtime tradition 'paid off' when his go-to numbers were picked in a drawing, the North Carolina Education Lottery said in a news release shared with McClatchy News on July 18 via email. Now, the lucky winner plans to help people impacted by Hurricane Helene, which battered parts of North Carolina in September. He hopes to donate some of his prize money to Samaritan's Purse, a charity that has raised funds for storm relief. Bierwirth won $439,226 after a stop at a Speedway gas station in Greenville, McClatchy News reported. While there, he tried his luck on the Carolina Cash 5 game, which offers tickets starting at $1. When Bierwirth was drinking his morning coffee, he checked the outcome of the July 14 drawing. That's when he realized his ticket beat 1-in-962,598 odds to hit the jackpot. Bierwirth lives in Greenville, a roughly 85-mile drive east from Raleigh. He kept $315,145 after taxes, according to lottery officials. It's not the first time sticking to a set of numbers has led to a big prize. Another North Carolina lottery player's persistence scored him a 'breathtaking' win, McClatchy News reported in June.
NDTV
17-07-2025
- Business
- NDTV
US Man Dreams Of Big Win, Buys Lottery Ticket, Bags $1 Million
A man from North Carolina has turned a dream and a strong gut feeling into a life-changing $1 million lottery win. Ricky Nunnery Jr, a resident of Sanford, said he had a vivid dream that hinted at future lottery luck. Trusting his instincts, he purchased a scratch-off ticket-and hit the jackpot. Nunnery told North Carolina Education Lottery officials that the dream felt like a sign, and he simply followed it. His win adds to the growing list of uncanny stories where intuition and luck come together to deliver massive rewards. "I dreamed that I would hit big on the lottery," he told North Carolina Education Lottery. Nunnery said he decided to play the game after listening to a gut feeling. "Something just told me to play today," he recalled. Nunnery bought his lucky $10 $1,000,000 Triple Play ticket from Wink Mart on Deep River Road in Sanford. "I'm tickled to death with this," Nunnery said. When Nunnery arrived at a lottery headquarters Friday, he had a decision to make. He could choose to receive the prize as an annuity of $50,000 over 20 years or a lump sum of $600,000. He chose the lump sum of $600,000 and, after required state and federal tax withholdings, took home $430,503. He plans to use his winnings to pay bills and invest. The $1,000,000 Triple Play game debuted in June with five top prizes of $1 million. Four $1 million prizes remain to be claimed.
UPI
14-07-2025
- General
- UPI
N.C. man follows a dream, gut feeling to $1M lottery prize
A North Carolina man said a dream and a gut feeling led to his winning $1 million from a scratch-off lottery ticket. File Photo by John Angelillo/UPI | License Photo July 14 (UPI) -- A North Carolina man said a dream and a gut feeling led to his winning a $1 million prize from a scratch-off lottery ticket. Sanford resident Ricky Nunnery Jr. told North Carolina Education Lottery officials his subconscious mind warned him that lottery luck was in his future. "I dreamed that I would hit big on the lottery," he said. Nunnery said a gut feeling led him to make his dream come true Friday with a $1,000,000 Triple Play ticket from Wink Mart on Deep River Road in Sanford. "Something just told me to play today," he said. Nunnery said his winnings will go toward paying bills and investing. "I'm tickled to death with this," Nunnery said.
Miami Herald
09-07-2025
- Business
- Miami Herald
First-time scratch-off player didn't know he won — until grandma saw NC ticket
A man decided to buy a scratch-off lottery ticket for the first time in North Carolina because he had 'seen lots of other people win.' But it wasn't until he showed the ticket to his grandma that he realized he had won himself. Amir Dickerson of Onslow County turned a $5 Mega Bucks ticket into a $200,000 top prize, the North Carolina Education Lottery said July 8. 'I just got lucky,' he told lottery officials. Dickerson bought his ticket at a Shell gas station in Jacksonville, but after he scratched it, the inexperienced lottery player said he didn't realize what he was seeing. 'I actually didn't know that I won at first,' he told lottery officials. 'I gave the ticket to my grandma to look at and she told me I won.' Dickerson's beginner's luck helped him beat the 1-in-1,234,580 odds to win one of nine top prizes in the game, which debuted in August, according to lottery records. 'It was just like shock,' he said. 'I was so happy.' He ended up with $143,501 after taxes and told lottery officials he plans to use the money to help his family. 'I'm just thankful,' Dickerson added. Five top prizes remain in the scratch-off game. Dickerson is from Richlands, which is about a 60-mile drive northeast from Wilmington.
