When Herminio Rivera of Fayetteville arrived at lottery headquarters Friday, he was shocked to find out he won a $150,000 top prize.
“I’ve never seen such a thing,” he said. “That’s a lot of money.”
Rivera knew he won a big prize when he scanned his ticket and found out he needed to go to lottery headquarters to claim his prize. But he never imagined it would be the top prize.
“I thought I won $2,000,” he laughed. “I was shocked.”
Rivera bought his lucky $5 LOTERIA Fiesta ticket from Legion Mart on Legion Road in Fayetteville.
He arrived in Raleigh to claim his prize and, after required state and federal tax withholdings, took home $107,626.
Rivera plans to share his winnings with his family.
The LOTERIA Fiesta game debuted in July with six $150,000 top prizes. Four $150,000 prizes remain to be claimed.
The N.C. Education Lottery’s Play Smart™ program helps North Carolinians make the most of their lottery play. Visit ncplaysmart.com to learn about all things lottery, from tips on how odds work to how to enter bonus drawings.