National

Man buys North Carolina lottery ticket on way to work and wins big. ‘Lunch is on you’

The dad said he plans to help pay his daughter’s tuition.
The dad said he plans to help pay his daughter’s tuition. North Carolina Education Lottery

When Jamie Johnson scratched off his North Carolina lottery ticket that he picked up on the way to work earlier that day, he was staring at a six-figure prize.

“I scratched the ticket at work and then told my co-worker, ‘I just won $100,000,’” Johnson, who lives in Hubert, told lottery officials in a Jan. 27 news release. “He told me, ‘If that’s true, lunch is on you.’”

It was true. Johnson bought a $30 200X The Cash ticket at Handy Mart in Cape Carteret, according to lottery officials. The man said even his wife didn’t believe him at first when he shared the news. 

“She thought I was lying at first,” Johnson told lottery officials. “I had to meet up with her to show her the ticket.”

Johnson took home $71,259 after taxes and plans to do some home repairs and help pay for his daughter’s college tuition, he told lottery officials. 

Hubert is about 130 miles southeast of Raleigh.

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.

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This story was originally published January 30, 2023 at 1:52 PM with the headline "Man buys North Carolina lottery ticket on way to work and wins big. ‘Lunch is on you’."

Alison Cutler
mcclatchy-newsroom
Alison Cutler is a National Real Time Reporter for the Southeast at McClatchy. She graduated from the Walter Cronkite School of Journalism and Mass Communication at Arizona State University and previously worked for The News Leader in Staunton, VA, a branch of USAToday.
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