North Carolina lottery winners share stories of lucky wins

The articles describe North Carolina lottery players who won large prizes through unexpected turns of luck. Many chose tickets based on instinct, routine, or even dreams. Often, winners checked and rechecked their tickets in disbelief. Some selected tickets with unique colors, while others used Quick Pick options.

One winner picked a scratch-off ticket because she liked its colors and won $4 million. Another player's inability to sleep led her to play an online game and win a $466,415 jackpot. A man dreamed the exact amount he would win, bought a ticket for Cash 5, and matched all five numbers for $110,000. In another story, a player bought a $5 Fast Play ticket at a tobacco outlet and won $155,241. These stories show how chance and small decisions can turn ordinary moments into moments of fortune for lottery players in North Carolina.

Rachel Sadler paid $30 for a Supreme 7s scratch off ticket at the Save Mart in Lincolnton because she liked the colors.

NO. 1: GRANDMA PICKS LOTTERY TICKET BECAUSE SHE LIKES THE COLORS — AND WINS HUGE NC PRIZE

“I’m still in a state of shock,” she said. | Published August 12, 2024 | Read Full Story by Mark Price

NO. 2: LOTTERY PLAYER ‘SAW ONE ZERO THEN ANOTHER ZERO THEN ANOTHER’ ON NC SCRATCH-OFF TICKET

The Burke County man won one of six top prizes in the game, lottery officials said. | Published October 14, 2024 | Read Full Story by Olivia Lloyd

NO. 3: POWERBALL PLAYER MISSES $172 MILLION JACKPOT — BUT STILL WINS BIG IN NORTH CAROLINA

Where was the lucky ticket sold? | Published November 25, 2024 | Read Full Story by Simone Jasper

NO. 4: LOTTERY PLAYER HAS DREAM OF HITTING NC JACKPOT, DOWN TO ‘EXACT AMOUNT’ — THEN HE DOES

“I actually dreamt the night before that I would win.” | Published February 24, 2025 | Read Full Story by Olivia Lloyd

Jugador de la Lotería de la Florida gana jugoso premio en una tienda de la Florida.

NO. 5: NC LOTTERY TICKETS BOUGHT 130 MILES APART HAD SAME WINNING NUMBERS. WHO GOT THE CASH?

One man waited 4 months to step forward, officials say. | Published February 28, 2025 | Read Full Story by Mark Price

Tracy Bell frequently plays Wheel of Bonuses late into the night, due to an inability sleep, NC lottery officials said in a March 13 news release.

NO. 6: LOTTERY PLAYER’S INABILITY TO SLEEP LEADS TO LIFE-CHANGING JACKPOT IN NORTH CAROLINA

Online lottery games aren’t a good cure for insomnia. | Published March 14, 2025 | Read Full Story by Mark Price

NO. 7: LOTTERY PLAYER DREAMING OF RETIREMENT WINS LIFE-CHANGING PRIZE IN NC. ‘THIS IS CRAZY’

“It still hasn’t set in yet that this is real.” | Published April 1, 2025 | Read Full Story by Simone Jasper

Someone in Conway, SC won an over $300,000 lottery ticket, organizers announced on Thursday morning. By Simone Jasper

NO. 8: POWERBALL PLAYER KEPT CHECKING TICKET AFTER BIG NC WIN. ‘IT WASN’T REGISTERING’

“Of course, you always hope you are the one to win.” | Published May 21, 2025 | Read Full Story by Simone Jasper

NO. 9: $5 LOTTERY TICKET TURNS INTO BIG PRIZE IN NORTH CAROLINA. WHERE WAS TICKET SOLD?

Here’s what to know about the lucky win. | Published May 22, 2025 | Read Full Story by Simone Jasper

NO. 10: LOTTERY WINNER KEPT CHECKING TICKET — ‘TO MAKE SURE I WAS LOOKING AT IT RIGHT’

“That was my first time buying that ticket,” the lucky North Carolina winner said. | Published May 22, 2025 | Read Full Story by Simone Jasper

NO. 11: POWERBALL PLAYER JUST MISSES $250 MILLION PRIZE, STILL WINS BIG IN NORTH CAROLINA

Here’s where the lucky ticket was sold. | Published July 15, 2025 | Read Full Story by Simone Jasper

The summary above was drafted with the help of AI tools and edited by journalists in our News division. All stories listed were reported, written and edited by McClatchy journalists.