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news blog > article

Asheville woman rides lucky streak to $1 million win

October 19, 2012 Posted by NC Lottery at 2:43 PM
image-photo

Here's your weekly wrap-up, courtesy of your friends at the Lucke-Zone:

There is lucky and then there is LUCKY!

A lucky streak for Asheville businesswoman Diane Israel began with a $500 win and ended with a $1 million prize playing $4,000,000 Cash Blowout.

“I had just won $500 on an Aces High ticket,” Israel said. “I went to the store after I cashed in the ticket and bought a $20 Cash Blowout ticket and won $20. I decided to try one more and scratched it off right then and there. I scratched off the numbers first and figured I had only won my money back. Then I scratched off the rest. I thought I was hallucinating. It was unbelievable.”

Since Thursday, Oct. 11, players of N.C. Education Lottery games won more than $15.4 million in prizes with more than $12.2 million awarded to winners of instant scratch-off games. Players of North Carolina draw games Pick 3, Pick 4 and Cash 5 won more than $2.7 million in total prizes.

The Powerball jackpot continued to climb this week. Saturday’s jackpot is an estimated $80 million if taken as an annuity or $52.6 million if taken as a lump sum.

Friday’s Mega Millions jackpot is an estimated $12 million if taken as an annuity or $9 million if taken as a lump sum.

Here's a breakdown of some of this week's big scratch-off winners:

- Olga Martinez and Daniel Stowe of Matthews and Charlotte won $50,000 playing Junior Big Ol' Bucks
- Monsera Flores of Monroe won $27,000 playing Electric 7's
- Todd Adams of Pfafftown won $10,000 playing Jumbo Bucks
- Steve Craver of Lexington won $10,000 playing Maximum Green
- Kelly Harper of Grimesland won $10,000 playing $5,000 a Week for Life!
- Charles Hyde of Catawba won $10,000 playing Greetings of Gold
- Donna Lockhart of Monroe won $10,000 playing $200,000 a Year for Life
- Kenneth Massey of Monroe won $10,000 playing Diamond 7s
- Michael Thomason of Thomasville won $10,000 playing $2,500 a Week for Life!

Be sure to check back next week as winners continue to pop up all the time! As always, have a safe and lucky weekend.


34 COMMENTS

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11/08/2012 05:20 - NC Lottery

@ EVERYONE - The Lucke Rewards drawings were held as scheduled and the winners have been notified by e-mail. Make sure to check the e-mail account that you have listed with your Lucke-Zone account. The winners' names will be announced only after they come to a regional claim center to complete the claims process.

11/08/2012 12:59 - Bonnie B.

When are the winners going to be posted for the 11-7-12 drawings? I wouldn't think it would take that long to verify 5 drawings and notify the winners. Do you call and e-mail the winners or just one or the other? Thanks!

11/08/2012 07:39 - Monte W.

Player said "I've bought about 10 tickets in a row that were losers on the $2,500 a week for life." Even if your suggestion were true, still your luck could make you buy the tickets that are before or after that winner card you suggest be in place. Also if things worked the way you suggest then wouldn't the opposite apply as well? I mean you can only have something happen good if there is something bad on the reverse. How else would you know you have come out to the good if there was not an opposing view or event! Every time you drive your car and not be in an accident you have won, but if it were as you suggest then once a month you would have a wreck. Think about it, nothing in life is guaranteed, so why should playing games of chance be any different! NO ONE is 'entitled' to win even once!. That's life!

11/07/2012 08:31 - Andrea S.

Asheville

11/05/2012 10:40 - NC Lottery

@ PANDA1975 - You are probably listed on our winners' page here somewhere: http://www.nc-educationlottery.org/winners.aspx?type=Instant Which regional claim center did you visit to claim your prize? Congratulations on your win; we will pass along your comment about the photo

11/03/2012 04:30 - Andrea S.

I won $1,000 on the new Holiday Millions last week,and was kinda disappointed that I didnt get listed on the site anywhere and that they didnt offer to take and post my pic either,that was gonna be the most exciting part,for me!

11/03/2012 11:53 - Henry B.

Jim243, I have been the Captain of our Lottery Team for the past 3 years. Recommend you visit the national websites of Powerball and Mega Millions and check out their Q&A section. Your Lottery playing strategy should be based on your group's goal. If your goal is to increase buying power to purchase more tickets, then play Powerplay and Megaplier. If your goal is to hit the Jackpot, then play Powerball and Meg because you can purchase more tickets. Or you can do a combination of both. We play Powerplay and Megaplier. However, YOUR GOAL - YOUR CALL

11/01/2012 11:03 - NC Lottery

@ DELONA - Current North Carolina law does not allow for online gaming like you're describing. Thanks for your question, we are always glad to share the information we have! :-)

10/30/2012 08:50 - Ila O.

Just wondering if NCEL has considered online betting like other states or perhaps for lucke-zone play entries....doesn't hurt to ask..

10/26/2012 04:40 - Jim C.

Blessed-- Thank You and you are right. Hope you have a blessed day, and good luck to you also.

10/26/2012 12:23 - NC Lottery

@ PLAYER - Because winning tickets are distributed at random throughout the entire printing run of the game, its possible for there to be many non-winning or winning tickets in a row on a roll of tickets. It takes luck to win, sometimes it only takes one ticket!

10/25/2012 08:48 - Helen O.

Everything that happens in our lives has a lot to do with our attitudes if you keep believing you'll win, you will, sometimes it's easier to believe you won't. Do the hard thing and keep believing it will happen when you least expect it.

10/25/2012 05:29 - Andrew G.

I've bought about 10 tickets in a row that were losers on the $2,500 a week for life. They need to include more instant winners because I feel like giving up. It's a dumb strategy on their part not to even give us our $5 back on occasion.

10/24/2012 11:39 - Jim C.

We have a lottery pool that was formed about a year ago and play $200.00 or more every week. Last week we won $3. I think the most we have won is $40. I have heard no one in NC has won all 6 numbers on Powerball or Mega that had powerplay or megaplier ticket, is this true? Anyone have any suggestions? Is it better to buy quick picks? Is it better to purchase tickets without power play or megaplier? Any stores around known for good winning tickets? Anyone with helpful suggestions I would really appreciate it. Thanks

10/24/2012 09:18 - NC Lottery

@ PLAYER (M) - It is possible to file gaming losses on your taxes, but it is recommended that you get advice from a tax expert about how to do that.

10/23/2012 11:49 - Maylene C.

Did somebody say you can write off the money you spend on lottery tickets?

10/23/2012 01:45 - Reneta M.

Ive been buying the 5 dollar deal on cash five but I only have been coming up with nothing.

10/22/2012 09:27 - NC Lottery

@ GRANDPA - That is one of the funniest Lucke Zone comments ever!

10/22/2012 09:24 - NC Lottery

@ LOTTERY22 - Sorry to hear that you dont like the grey on white text. For many users looking at a computer screen, this combination is easier on the eyes than white text on the dark red background. If you press and hold the CTRL key and then also press the "+" key, it will enlarge the text (CTRL and "-" will bring it back down). This might make the text easier for you to read. Thank you for your comment

10/22/2012 09:22 - Roger K.

congrats Diane, you know the old saying is! "Don't spend it all in one place". Waiting on my ship to come in, then look out world! doing some traveling around these Great States of the UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, before I'm dead and gone.

10/22/2012 09:22 - NC Lottery

@ DEEP1 - It takes a lot of luck to win a prize playing games of chance no matter where you live or play. The size of Pick 4 payouts has to do with how many players are lucky enough to have the winning numbers, not a decision by the lottery. You are welcome to attend a live drawing to see how much care is taken to ensure the integrity of the games for everyone who has a ticket.

10/22/2012 09:16 - NC Lottery

@ AUDREYCH - Thanks for sharing your story of good luck and for your advice. When we meet big winners here at HQ, we always recommend meeting with a financial advisor to get all the taxes straightened out on the front end. Everyone's financial picture is different so some winners have more tax obligation, others have less. Congrats again and best wishes!

10/22/2012 09:14 - NC Lottery

@ BK - Didn't know you were still reading the blog! In December of 2008, a Youngsville player scratched off a $200,000 prize. Everyone has the same chance of winning no matter where they live or play.

10/22/2012 09:08 - NC Lottery

@ BROCK - For technical questions, please click on the "HELP" link at the top of the screen and submit your question there and tech support staff will assist you

10/21/2012 08:05 - james b.

Question concerning winners column in lucky zone. My # of entries shows up 0. i have like 44.

10/21/2012 11:20 - Barbara K.

WOW!!!!! I actually won $1.00 out of $25.00 worth of tickets.This has to be a record for someone in Youngsville to actually win anything.

10/21/2012 09:54 - audrey c.

AWESOME! I won on cash 5 earlier this past year & we have really enjoyed the money. It's a blessing and I know, Diane will have fun with her winnings too! Word of advice, make sure you save for you taxes! This will put you in a totally different tax bracket. Although, we paid 92,000 already in taxes, we are looking at close to $ 30,000 more when tax time rolls around again! Save all your unwinning lottery tickets including scratch off's) you can write off as much as you've won. Have fun Diane..... :()~~

10/20/2012 05:52 - Kayon W.

My turn to win big yes,yes,yes,God is good.

10/20/2012 04:53 - YVONNE G.

Way to go!!!!!!! I can't wait for my time to win big. Yvonne Galloway

10/20/2012 04:04 - Michael R.

Always Asheville, Fayetteville, Charlotte and Raleigh. So sick of this crooked lottery. Cant win on the scratch offs because the tickets are strategically placed. Cant win on the Pick 4 because they draw the least paying pick 4 combination played in the state.

10/20/2012 01:40 - ella r.

amazing at the ways you can win.patiently waiting for the grand fornally!

10/20/2012 09:33 - Danielle E.

congrat to all winner!

10/20/2012 07:03 - Angeline W.

Hi, Since you have started to use the gray writing on the blog it is hard to read it. please consider changing the color. Thanks!

10/19/2012 05:02 - mike s.

oh yea grandpa says where's my money or beef if you must

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