Grandfather wins lottery jackpot in NC. ‘Surprised I didn’t have a heart attack’
A grandfather of four hit the jackpot in an online lottery game he bought for $2, officials said.
“I was surprised I didn’t have a heart attack,” Todd Lesher said when claiming his prize, according to an April 10 North Carolina Education Lottery news release.
Lesher won $328,105 in the Bison Bonanza game, which he played while watching TV at home, lottery officials said.
“I just kept looking at it to make sure it was still there,” Lesher told the lottery. “I thought there was no way.”
He said he plans to use his prize to pay off his house, pay some bills and complete landscaping projects at his home, according to lottery officials.
“This couldn’t have come at a better time,” Lesher said.
The odds of winning the Bison Bonanza jackpot prize are 1 in 15.5 million, lottery officials said.
Ticket prices range between 50 cents and $30, and the overall odds of winning are 1 in 3.59, according to the game’s website.
The estimated jackpot prize as of April 10 is more than $88,500, lottery officials said.
Lesher is from Franklinville, which is about a 65-mile drive west of Raleigh.
This story was originally published April 10, 2025 at 3:25 PM with the headline "Grandfather wins lottery jackpot in NC. ‘Surprised I didn’t have a heart attack’."
