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Three NC lottery jackpot winners had one thing in common, officials say

Two scratch-off ticket buyers kept Charlotte’s recent streak of jackpot winners alive, North Carolina lottery officials said this week.

Celise Redmon became the latest big winner when her $5 ticket in the new Lincoln game scored the top $200,000 prize, lottery officials said Tuesday.

Redmon bought her ticket at Mountain Island BP on Vinnies Way in Charlotte, according to a lottery news release.

She beat odds of 1 in 4.25 million, according to the Lincoln game page on NCLottery.com.

Redmon didn’t say what she intends to do with the money when she claimed her prize at lottery headquarters in Raleigh on Monday, officials said. She didn’t immediately return a phone call from The Charlotte Observer.

After taxes, she took home $142,021, according to the lottery.

The Lincoln game launched this month as a part of the Cash games that offer six $200,000 top prizes. Four remain to be claimed in the Lincoln game, officials said.

Millionaire Maker winner

On Friday, Sept. 8, Charlotte resident Ronald Pierce arrived at lottery headquarters to claim his $1 million prize on a $30 Millionaire Maker ticket that he bought at Food Lion on East Roosevelt Boulevard in Monroe, officials said.

A Charlotte man scored a $1-million prize on a $30 Millionaire Maker ticket he bought claim at Food Lion on East Roosevelt Boulevard in Monroe, lottery officials said on Monday, Sept. 12, 2022.
A Charlotte man scored a $1-million prize on a $30 Millionaire Maker ticket he bought claim at Food Lion on East Roosevelt Boulevard in Monroe, lottery officials said on Monday, Sept. 12, 2022. N.C. Education Lottery

Pierce could choose between a $50,000 annuity over 20 years and a $600,000 lump sum. After taxes, he took home $426,069 after taking the lump sum, officials said.

He beat odds of 1 in 2.95 million, according to the Millionaire Makers page.

When he claimed his prize, Pierce didn’t say what he might do with the money. The Observer couldn’t reach him on Tuesday. A phone number listed for Pierce in public records wasn’t accepting messages.

Cashword Multiplier winner

And Tiffany Griffin of Charlotte discovered she’d won a big lottery prize last week when her boyfriend urged her to check the $5 ticket again, the Observer previously reported.

Five top prizes remain to be claimed in the new Cashword Multiplier N.C. scratch-off game, lottery officials said.
Five top prizes remain to be claimed in the new Cashword Multiplier N.C. scratch-off game, lottery officials said. NC EDUCATION LOTTERY

Tiffany Griffin bought a ticket in the new crossword-themed Cashword Multiplier scratch-off game because “I’ve always loved doing crossword puzzles,” The Charlotte Observer previously reported.

Griffin claimed her $150,000 top prize at lottery headquarters in Raleigh on Friday.

She beat odds of 1 in 3.91 million, according to the Cashword Multiplier page on N.C. Lottery.com.

Griffin couldn’t be reached by the Observer on Tuesday.

Joe Marusak
The Charlotte Observer
Joe Marusak has been a reporter for The Charlotte Observer since 1989 covering the people, municipalities and major news events of the region, and was a news bureau editor for the paper. He currently reports on breaking news. Support my work with a digital subscription
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