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After winning a digital instant game jackpot of over $700,000, this lucky North Carolina Lottery player had to pinch herself!
Was she dreaming?
Vickie Koch of Raleigh won a $728,048 jackpot early Wednesday morning, and she immediately thought she was dreaming.
She told Lottery officials:
I kept pinching myself thinking I would wake up. I thought I was asleep, I really did.
Digital instant games help relax her
We can see why she thought she was asleep. Koch told Lottery officials that she likes playing the digital instant games late at night before going to bed, as it relaxes her. We're pretty sure she wasn't feeling too relaxed after this big win!
Koch was sitting in her living room playing Bison Bonanza, a digital instant game from the North Carolina Lottery that features a progressive jackpot that can be won at any time. She suddenly realized that she had just hit that progressive jackpot.
She told Lottery officials:
I was just sitting there, like I was numb. This is just such a huge blessing.
Second biggest digital instant win
After hitting the $728,048 jackpot, Koch became the second biggest digital instant winner since the Lottery began offering digital instant games in November.
To win, Koch played a $2 ticket and won the top-level 'Epic Jackpot.' The odds of winning that jackpot level are 1 in 15.5 million.
Claiming her prize
Koch headed to North Carolina Lottery headquarters to claim her prize and, after required federal and state tax withholdings, she took home $520,555. What will she do with her winnings?
She told Lottery officials:
The first thing I was thinking was, “What can I do to help my family?” I want to use this to set up an education trust for my grandchildren's college.
In addition to that education trust, Koch said she wants to take a girl's trip to “somewhere tropical.”
North Carolina Lottery hands out $1 million scratch-off winner also
There was another big winner in the North Carolina Lottery recently. Christina Boeke of Marion decided to try her luck on a $50 scratch-off ticket and her luck paid off, as she won a $1 million prize.
Boeke bought the winning $10 Million Spectacular ticket from Riverside Convenience Store, located on U.S. 70 West in Marion.
On Friday, she made her way to the lottery headquarters to collect her big prize, but would she take an annuity of $50,000 over 20 years or a lump sum payment of $600,000?
Boeke chose the lump sum option, and after required federal and state tax withholdings, she took home $429,014.
The $10 Million Spectacular scratch-off game debuted in December for the North Carolina Lottery. The ticket includes five top prizes of $10 million, 20 prizes of $1 million, and 20 prizes of $100,000. So far, three $10 million prizes, 10 $1 million prizes, and 10 $100,000 prizes remain to be claimed.
Enjoy playing the North Carolina Lottery, and please remember to play responsibly.
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