Ross Hall, a carpenter from Richlands in Onslow County, says he will use the $100,000 he won playing an instant game, EZ Grand, to pay off bills and fill “a nest egg” for his family.

Hall, who enjoys playing the Education Lottery’s instant games, brought the lucky ticket on Monday at the Scotchman on Richlands Highway and discovered after playing it that he had won the game’s top prize. The win continued Hart’s good luck with instant games after winning $10,000 in February 2009 playing a game called Winning Fever.

“It’s a nest egg,” said Hall of his prize money. “It just puts my family at a comfort level that is a great stress reliever. I can put all this money in the bank and pay my bills for a long time.”

After taxes were withheld, Hall received $68,001. He won the last top prize in the EZ Grand game.

From March 30, 2006 through June 30, 2011, Onslow County players won more than $60 million in prizes and local retailers earned more than $8.2 million in commissions on ticket sales.

During the same time frame, Onslow County education programs received more than $29.4 million in lottery funds. By law, these funds benefit specific programs. More than $10 million paid for salaries of 203 teachers in grades K-3; more than $7 million provided 1,797 prekindergarten opportunities for at-risk four year olds; and more than $2.1 million went to 1,914 need-based college scholarships. Onslow County officials decided how to utilize more than $10.2 million in school construction funds provided by the lottery.

To date, the N.C. Education Lottery has raised more than $2.1 billion for these initiatives statewide.