Record-breaking lottery win makes grandma’s birthday even sweeter in NC. ‘Surreal’
A North Carolina grandmother scored a record-breaking lottery win, making her birthday even sweeter.
“You always dream of something like this but you never think it’s going to happen to you,” prize winner Nancy Bourget told the N.C. Education Lottery in a Jan. 16 news release.
Bourget had another reason to celebrate turning older after a trip to a gas station on Jan. 6. At the RaceWay in Lincolnton, officials said she spent $40 to play the Carolina Keno drawing game.
Bourget went with the Quick Pick option, meaning the lottery chose the Keno numbers for her. Her ticket matched all 10 numbers picked in the drawing, and another selection on the ticket meant her prize doubled from $100,000 to $200,000.
It turns out, Bourget’s prize is the highest ever won in the Keno game since its North Carolina debut in 2017. The win surged above the previous record of $168,750, which a lucky Durham woman scored in August, lottery officials told McClatchy News in an email.
“The stars are all aligning for me right now,” Bourget said. “It’s a little surreal.”
Bourget claimed her winnings on her birthday and kept $141,407 after taxes. The Lincoln County resident said she may save some of her prize money for her five grandchildren.
“I want to look out for their future,” Bourget told lottery officials. “I’m really excited for them.”
Lincolnton is roughly 35 miles northwest of uptown Charlotte.
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