Ticket sold in Brunswick County wins $255,979 Cash 5 jackpot

May 14, 2012 Posted by NC Lottery at 12:36 PM

A Carolina Cash 5 ticket sold at the Food Lion on Village Road in Leland in Brunswick County is worth $255,979. The ticket was the only one to match all five numbers in Sunday’s drawing to hit the jackpot. The winning numbers in the drawing were: 2-17-27-31-35.

If it turns out the ticketholder lives in Brunswick County, it would mark the third-largest prize ever awarded to a resident there. In February 2008, a player from Ocean Isle Beach won a $1 million on a $130 Million Blockbuster ticket, and in December 2006, a player from Southport won a $731,836 Carolina Cash 5 jackpot.

In Saturday's Powerball drawing, two tickets matched four white balls and the Powerball. The tickets were sold at the Food Lion on Cliffdale Road in Fayetteville and the Market Center Express on Stockton Road in Weaverville in Buncombe County.

One player matched four white balls and the Mega Ball in Friday's Mega Millions drawing. The ticket was sold at Six Points Store on N.C. 120 in Mooresboro in Rutherford County.

North Carolina players with winning tickets for draw games such as Carolina Cash 5, Powerball and Mega Millions have 180 days from the date of a drawing to collect their winnings. The lottery advises winners to sign their tickets immediately to establish ownership.

28 COMMENTS

5/30/2012 09:34 - NC Lottery

@ DEEP1 - Not sure where you're getting your statistics from. We have winners from outside Guilford, Mecklenburg, and Wake Counties all the time. Just read the comments of other players here in the blog, you will see some folks insist that ONLY the small towns win big! The truth is that it takes luck to win wherever you live.

5/30/2012 09:32 - NC Lottery

@ JIM243 - Buncombe and Cleveland counties are home to the two biggest jackpot winners in North Carolina history, Frank Griffin ($141.4 million) and Jeff Wilson ($88.1 million). So the stats on those counties skew upward significantly. Over time, the odds play out and there is relatively even breakdown of prize payouts. But - randomness and luck are the factors that account for the variation. That's why someone in a big place or a small place have the same chance to win. We appreciate your kinds words and that you take time to read the blog and comment. We look forward to more conversation!! :-)

5/29/2012 09:05 - Jim C.

Lucke-Zone, Please understand I am NOT trying to give you a hard time, Everyone of you, who have to answer to this Blog has a very tough job, however "Anywhere a person lives or plays, their chances of winning are the same" is simply not true, especially the amounts. Statistics show on average people have spent $1.82 to win $1.00, and it has to be that way, or you yourself would not have a job! But people in the Western Part of the state are in the "Lucky Zone" Stats show in Buncombe County players spent 89 cents on every $1 payout, Cleveland County did even better, with 78 cents spent for every $1 won. People in 21 counties have had more bad days than good, spending more than $2 for every $1 win....and I have got to be in one of those counties! I have spent thousands over the years with very little return. The three counties with the worst rate of return, I will not mention.

5/29/2012 01:27 - Michael R.

To be fair, rural counties I'm sure account for at least 25 to 30% of the state's population, so if my math is right, at least 1 out of 4 winners or 1 out of every 3.5 winners should still come from a rural county if all things are created equally. With what I'm observing, it's like 1 out of every 20 winner is from a rural county. I still say scratch tickets are strategically placed and I find the cash 5 placement somewhat strategic too.

5/29/2012 09:02 - NC Lottery

@ JIM243: About 25% of North Carolina's 9 million+ residents live in the three counties you've identified - Guiflord, Mecklenburg, and Wake. Because everyone has an equal chance of winning, you'd expect to see a significant number of winners from those counties. But everyone has to remember that those counties have their share of non-winning tickets, too! Anywhere a person lives or plays, their chances of winning are the same.

5/29/2012 07:29 - Jim C.

Mac, I stand corrected, Wake County has paid out the most prize money, followed by Mecklenburg County (Charlotte) and then Gilford County.

5/29/2012 07:19 - Jim C.

Mac, Have to agree with you lol...unless it has recently changed, Wake County of course has the most wins, 2nd I believe was Greensboro, and then Charlotte.

5/24/2012 08:46 - NC Lottery

@ KAYBABY - Sorry to hear you didn't have better luck on those tickets. It is true that with all games of chance there are more non-winning tickets than winning tickets. That's what makes it possible to award the prizes.

5/23/2012 08:52 - Linda R.

Sunny Money is not a good ticket. I bought 10 more from a different store, same results, $2.00 out of 10.00.

5/22/2012 09:45 - NC Lottery

@ MACMILLION - Do you consider Greensboro a small town? http://bit.ly/KyOthN

5/22/2012 07:33 - Donnell G.

there was a 4 mill dollar winner in raleigh,,that's because it was near lottery headquarters. Keep buying in small towns...huge winning tickets are sent there.

5/22/2012 08:58 - NC Lottery

@ GOMOM46 - We read and respond to all kinds of comments here in the Lucke-Zone. We do our best to answer questions and acknowledge what folks have to say, whether its a criticism or good news. As for who wins prizes... we've met alllll kinds of people here at lottery HQ who have won - people who already had comfortable income, and those who did not. The odds of winning are the same no matter where you live or play, it's all a matter of luck. The tickets dont know who is buying them! We wish you the best

5/22/2012 08:55 - NC Lottery

@ KAYBABY - Sorry to hear those tix weren't lucky ones for you. Truly, a winning ticket could be at any store - in a big city, or a small town. It's all random. Best of luck! :-)

5/22/2012 08:54 - NC Lottery

@ MACMILLION - Sorry for the confusion on this. In the gaming industry, draw games are also called "online games" because they are networked through computer terminals (as opposed to be scratch-off tickets). So you can't play Cash 5 online, its just considered an "online game." We try to use the term "draw game" because its more clear.

5/21/2012 10:10 - Donnell G.

how do you play cash 5 online?

5/21/2012 09:54 - Linda R.

I am not Very Sunny, I bought 10 Sunny Money Tickets and no winner. Ten tickets in a row and no winner. I bought 5 of the new $10.00 tickets and I won $10.00, My luck is not as good as Chris, I bought them at small out of the way stores too per someone suggestion.

5/21/2012 08:07 - Reneta M.

I say money landing in the upper and middle class hands. I always watch the winners and what type of jobs they have. I can't get a dollar out of NC lottery. Everywhere I've been in my county just dry tickets and even pick 3, pick 4 and etc., just dry. People winning aren't gonna complain just those that aren't. Lucke Zone sounds like they only want to hear good stuff.

5/21/2012 09:01 - NC Lottery

@ CHRIS28411 - Hey, congrats on your good luck! We love to hear stories like yours

5/21/2012 09:01 - NC Lottery

@ TACOMA - Cash 5 is the online/draw game in North Carolina that offers better odds than the multistate games like PB & MM. It's certainly possible that we'll add more draw games in the future but right now there is not a new one on the horizon.

5/19/2012 09:27 - Ian P.

The lottery games are great, but is there any chance we'll get new online games with better odds? In other states, they have Win For Life, Decades of Dollars, etc. that I'm sure a lot of people would play if it was offered here. Are there any plans to add games like that in the near future? I like games with better odds than Megamillions or Powerball.

5/18/2012 01:42 - Chris S.

I went on a mini roll today. Bought a 100,000 taxes paid and a Extreme and won instant 50 on the Taxes. cashed it in at another store on the way home. Bought an Extreme and another 100,000 Taxes paid and won instant 50 on the Extreme. Made one more stop and bought a Jumbo Bucks, Extreme and Taxes Paid and won an instant 100 on the Jumbo. Gonna stop now with $$ in my pocket but hpoping I didn't kill my luck with the Cash 5, Mega or Powerball. Tomorrow is another day.

5/17/2012 11:50 - Ryan K.

@RONC - Please contact our hotline at (877) 962-7529. I'm sure they can help.

5/17/2012 11:48 - Ryan K.

@PLAYER - In Selma, there have been multiple scratch-off winners, including a $100,000 win and a $1 million win.

5/16/2012 04:49 - Ryan K.

@MAYBABY Every county in the state has winners, but in the more populated areas, there are more tickets being sold. That being said, everyone has the same chance to win prizes.

5/16/2012 03:02 - shaking c.

IM HiT BiG

5/16/2012 02:43 - Ronald C.

I was owed a N.C. education lottery payment on a Million dollar ticket on May 15 Still no payment!

5/15/2012 07:21 - Charlene W.

How can some counties have numerous winners and other have none.

5/15/2012 12:39 - anthony s.

It seems that I live in the wrong county to win any of the big prizes. I can't recall anyone winning any big amounts in Selma. And I have been playing it every since the lottery started

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Ticket sold in Brunswick County wins $255,979 Cash 5 jackpot

May 14, 2012 Posted by NC Lottery at 12:36 PM

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