For Brenda Earp a trip to the gas station to beat last week’s ice storm turned into a $100,000 win when she played Crossword Money Multiplier.
“I couldn’t believe it,” she said. “I went over that ticket at least five different times.”
Earp claimed her prize Monday at lottery headquarters in Raleigh. After required state and federal withholdings she took home $68,822. She plans to use the money to get a better car.
She bought the winning $5 ticket at the Midway Market on Black Creek Road in Wilson.
Earp is the first player to win the game’s top prize. The game launched earlier this month with four top prizes of $100,000.
Ticket sales from games like Crossword Money Multiplier made it possible for the lottery to raise more than half a billion dollars for the state last year. For details on how more than $ 31.2 million in lottery funds have made a difference in Wilson County, click on the “Where the Money Goes” section of the lottery’s website.