All news

North Carolina woman turns $1 into $436,199

All it takes is one ticket to win big money!

North Carolina Lottery Cash 5 logo on a background with falling confetti.
Todd Betzold

Sometimes, people feel lucky, and they test that luck by playing the Lottery.

It doesn't work out for everyone, but it definitely worked out for Siah Hayes of Greensboro, who tried her luck on a $1 Cash 5 ticket and ended up winning the $436,199 jackpot on Tuesday, March 26.

The winning numbers

For the Tuesday, March 26, Cash 5 drawing, the Main Draw numbers were 6, 19, 31, 32, and 43. The Double Play numbers were 9, 19, 25, 27, and 30.

Hayes bought her winning ticket online at the North Carolina Lottery website. She chose the Quick Pick option, which means the computer generated the winning numbers for her.

She matched all five of her numbers to win the jackpot. The odds of matching all five white balls are 1 in 962,598.

On March 28, Hayes claimed her prize at lottery headquarters in Raleigh. After required federal and state tax withholdings, she took home $311,885.

Cash 5 — how does it work?

Cash 5 is a daily draw game in North Carolina. The draws take place every day at 11:22 p.m. ET.

To play, you need to pick five numbers from 1 to 43 or choose the Quick Pick option for the computer to generate random numbers for you. Players can choose to enter up to 28 consecutive draws. You can also choose the EZ Match option, which gives players an instant shot at winning other prizes.

Cash 5 costs $1 per draw, and it costs an additional $1 per line to add the EZ Match option. Players can also add the Double Play option for an additional $1 per line, which gives players the chance to enter their numbers into the Double Play draw. This second draw gives players the chance to win additional prizes up to $50,000.

The jackpot for Cash 5 starts at $100,000 and continues to increase every draw until someone wins. To win a prize, players need to match at least two numbers, which pays $1. There are four prize categories for the Main Draw, ranging from $1 up to the jackpot. There are 10 additional prize categories with EZ Match and four prize categories for Double Play, ranging from $3 up to $50,000.

The overall odds of winning a prize in the main draw are 1 in 10.51. The overall odds of winning a prize in EZ Match are 1 in 4.7.

Building and improving schools in North Carolina

In an effort to help improve public education in the state, the North Carolina Lottery announced 10 counties that would be getting financial support to help build and improve their schools. The money for these grants came from money raised by the lottery.

The 10 counties receiving the grants are Beaufort, Bertie, Burke, Columbus, Gates, Lenoir, Macon, Nash, Randolph, and Surry!

Enjoy playing the North Carolina Lottery, and please remember to play responsibly.

Comments

Comments have been disabled for this article.

Related articles

GetGo #7535, located at 1051 N. Green St. in Brownsburg, Indiana.
Winning weekend delivers millions in jackpots across five states

From a record Fast Play hit to an $8.2M Lotto score, multiple jackpots fell in just days. Did one land near you?

Todd Betzold profile pic

Todd Betzold

Richard Hopper Sr with his $1,000,000 Michigan Lottery check.
Wrong ticket, right numbers: Lottery mistakes that paid off big

These lottery players' mistakes led them to massive jackpots.

Alex Cramer profile pic

Alex Cramer

A "Now playing" sign with a posted for the "How to win the Lottery" Netflix series.
This Mexican lottery heist was so wild that Netflix had to dramatize it

The true story behind Netflix's “How to Win the Lottery” heist.

Halley Bondy profile pic

Halley Bondy

John Spiby Sr.'s mugshot next to a photograph of drugs found during a raid of the drug operation he was a part of.
Have you heard about the 80-year-old lottery winner who ran a drug ring?

The case involved fake pills, firearms, shell businesses, and a country property hiding in plain sight.

Todd Betzold profile pic

Todd Betzold

Recent articles

View All
Louisiana Lottery CEO, Rose Hudson.
Featured
Exclusive interview
How Louisiana runs one of America's leanest lottery operations

In this exclusive interview with Lottery USA, Rose Hudson shares the formula for maximum education dollars.

Samantha Herscher profile pic

Samantha Herscher

A Florida Lottery ticket machine at a lottery retailer.
Florida's scratch-off success sends a message to other lotteries

Data-driven game design, smart pricing, and player favorites helped push sales past $7 billion in 2025.

Todd Betzold profile pic

Todd Betzold

The Alabama State House in Montgomery.
Will Alabama residents finally get their say on lottery and casinos?

State senator bets on voters to break 25-year lottery deadlock.

Samantha Herscher profile pic

Samantha Herscher

The Missouri State Capitol building.
Missouri wants the state lottery to run video lottery machines

Lawmakers now want the lottery to step in, regulate machines, and redirect profits to public programs.

Todd Betzold profile pic

Todd Betzold