A 50th wedding anniversary just got a whole lot sweeter for Edward Davis Jr. of Lillington as he and his wife will celebrate with a vacation after winning a $1 million Powerball prize on Wednesday.
“We haven’t decided where we will go yet, but we will definitely go somewhere,” he said.
Davis bought the $2 Quick Pick ticket from Fast Mart on South Main Street in Lillington.
“I was stunned,” he recalled. “It still hasn’t sunk in yet.”
Davis matched the numbers on all five white balls to win his prize. The odds of matching all five white balls are 1 in 11.6 million. He said he has a special item he wants to purchase with his winnings.
“I want a tractor,” Davis laughed. “Probably a John Deere.”
He claimed his prize Monday at lottery headquarters in Raleigh and, after required federal and state tax withholdings, Davis took home $712,501.
Both the Powerball and the Mega Million games offer big jackpots this week. Tuesday’s Mega Millions jackpot stands at $335 million as an annuity or $153.1 million cash. Wednesday’s Powerball jackpot stands at $374 million as an annuity, or $173.5 million in cash. The odds of winning a Powerball jackpot are 1 in 292 million. The odds of winning a Mega Millions jackpot are 1 in 302 million.
Powerball and Mega Millions are two of six draw games in North Carolina where players have the option of buying their tickets at a retail location or with Online Play through the lottery’s website or the NC Lottery Official Mobile App. Lottery players can also now play digital instants games on the lottery website.
Play Smart, Gift Smart raises awareness that lottery tickets are not appropriate gifts for kids as part of a national gift responsibly campaign. Research shows that the earlier someone participates in or is exposed to gambling, the more likely they are to develop a gambling problem later in life. Check out our blog to learn more and Play Smart, Gift Smart this holiday season.