Lottery player has a ‘real good day’ of bowling — then wins life-changing prize in NC
A North Carolina man ended a “real good day” of bowling with a six-figure lottery win.
“My total score for three games was 777,” Dennis Whicker told North Carolina Education Lottery officials.
On the advice of a friend, the Durham man said he tried his luck playing Cash 5 — and scored a jackpot prize worth $246,222, the lottery said. Whicker spent $1 on the winning ticket at Blalock’s Convenience Store in Rougemont.
It matched all five numbers in the Feb. 6 drawing, beating odds of 1 in 962,598 to take the top prize, results show.
“I kept looking at the numbers over and over again,” Whicker told officials. “I kept thinking, ’Is that right?’”
He claimed his winnings Feb. 12 at lottery headquarters and took home $176,665 after taxes, lottery officials said.
Whicker said he’ll put some of his newfound wealth toward home repairs.
Rougemont is about a 40-mile drive northwest from downtown Raleigh.
This story was originally published February 12, 2025 at 5:32 PM with the headline "Lottery player has a ‘real good day’ of bowling — then wins life-changing prize in NC."