Mohammad Zeidan of Pamlico County won big in the Jan. 31 Mega Millions drawing, collecting a $1 million prize.
Zeidan’s $2 ticket beat odds of 1 in 12.6 million to match the numbers on all five white balls in the drawing. After required state and federal tax withholdings, he took home $707,501.
Zeidan, who lives in the Merritt community, bought his lucky winner ticket at Dempsey’s Kwik Mart on Catherine Lake Road in Jacksonville.
Matching all five white balls is one of nine ways to win a prize in Mega Millions drawings. The jackpot for Tuesday’s drawing is $65 million as an annuity or $48.6 million cash.
Draw games, such as Mega Millions, make it possible for the lottery to raise more than $700 million a year for education. For details on how lottery funds have made a difference in all of North Carolina’s 100 counties click on the “Impact” section of the lottery’s website, nclottery.com.