Football fan buys lottery ticket after team’s loss — and he wins big in North Carolina

As Stephen Latson watched his football team’s loss, he didn’t realize he was soon in for a win himself.

The Cary, North Carolina, man left the game and decided to stop and buy some lottery tickets.

It paid off, according to an Oct. 23 news release from the N.C. Education Lottery.

“Well unfortunately my team didn’t win,” he told lottery officials, “but I did.”

Latson hit the jackpot in the Oct. 17 Cash 5 drawing — along with two others. They split the $1.18 million prize three ways, leaving them each with $394,216 before tax, lottery officials said.

He went to collect his prize at headquarters in Raleigh but didn’t know how much he had won, according to the release.

“I didn’t think I won anywhere near that much,” he told lottery officials. “It was a pleasant surprise that’s for sure.”

Latson’s Quick Pick ticket matched all five numbers in the drawing after he bought it Oct. 14, officials said. One of the other winning tickets was sold in Durham and the third was played online by a Cleveland County woman, according to the N.C. Education Lottery website.

Latson walked away with $280,881 after tax. He told lottery officials he would put the money toward home repairs and paying bills.

“I was not expecting that,” Latson said. “It wasn’t even part of my thought process.”

Cary is about 10 miles west of Raleigh.

This story was originally published October 23, 2023 at 5:24 PM with the headline "Football fan buys lottery ticket after team’s loss — and he wins big in North Carolina."