Man hits the jackpot in new $5 North Carolina lottery game, officials say
In a case of try, try and try again, a man won the top prize in a new $5 North Carolina scratch-off game, lottery officials said Friday.
“I’ve been buying that one since it came out,” Greensboro resident David Fitzgerald said when he claimed his big win in the $200,000 Triple Play game at lottery headquarters in Raleigh on Friday, according to a lottery news release.
He beat odds of 1 in nearly 1.7 million, according to the Triple Play game page.
Three top prizes remain in the game that debuted June 3.
He didn’t believe his big lottery win
Fitzgerald bought the ticket at Express Mart on West Market Street in Greensboro.
Fitzgerald didn’t trust what he saw at first.
“I said, ‘Let me turn the lights on to make sure,’” he told the lottery.
He never expected to win, but remained “cool, calm and collected” when he did, he said, laughing. “I was surprised, though.”
After taxes, he took home $143,501, officials said.
He said he plans to use the money to help take care of his granddaughter’s future.