Lottery players win more than $23 million this week

April 5, 2013 Posted by NC Lottery at 4:48 PM

The biggest winners of lottery games this week claimed $1 million prizes.

One of those prizes belongs to Robert Bryson of High Point. Sitting in his car outside the Kangaroo Express on Westchester Drive on Friday, Bryson scratched his 20X the Money ticket and realized he won $1 million. He drove home immediately to share the good news with his wife, Leigh. They spent the weekend looking at the ticket.

A couple from Cary claimed the other $1 million prize. After Bradley Junell scratched off $1 million on a $10 MONOPOLY ticket, he left it underneath his wife Diane's pillow. “When I saw the ticket I had to look at it over and over,” Diane said. “I could feel my heart coming through my throat. Honestly, I’m just waiting for someone to pinch me and wake me up.”

Other players claimed big prizes on scratch-off wins this week:

Willie Harris of Roanoke Rapids ($50,000 - Cash Spectacular)
Gwendolyn Bynum of Zebulon ($25,000 - Rockin’ 5’s)
David Outwater of Chinquapin ($20,000 - $4,000,000 Gold Bullion)
Taylor Ford of Burlington ($10,000 - Ruby Red 7’s)
Willie Ray of Seven Springs ($10,000 - Cash Spectacular)
Stacey Ritter of West End ($10,000 - Ruby Red 7’s)
Kevin Rowell of Charlotte ($10,000 - Jumbo Bucks)
James Service of Albemarle ($10,000 - 10X the Payout)
Angel Vargas of Four Oaks ($10,000 - MONOPOLY)

Several Carolina Cash 5 jackpots were won or claimed. Thursday's $272,453 Cash 5 jackpot was won by a ticket sold at the Shell Food Mart on Freedom Drive in Charlotte. George Clements of Raleigh and Edward Smith of Jamestown won $56,172 each in the March 29 drawing. Amazingly enough, a different Edward Smith, this one from Bessemer City, won $50,000 in the March 26 drawing. William Woody of Marion claimed his $25,000 share of the March 23 jackpot. In all Cash 5 players combined with Pick 3 and Pick 4 players to win more than $3.9 million this week.

Heading into the weekend, the annuity value of the Mega Millions and Powerball jackpots are estimated at $50 million each. You never know when North Carolina might get its sixth-ever multimillion dollar jackpot winner. So, good luck to you whether you're scratching or matching and see you next time here in the Lucke-Zone.

79 COMMENTS

4/16/2013 09:37 - NC Lottery

@ EARL2212 - We would have responded to Sandy's comment, but she made it clear she didn't care what our factual explanation would be, so we let it go. But to respond to your comment, the advertised odds on second-chance games are just as accurate as the advertised odds on games that don't have a specific second-chance drawing associated with it. If you'd rather play other types of games that's fine, but many players enjoy the second-chance feature because it gives them another chance to win. The odds of winning $3 million in the Holiday Millions drawing were much, much better than you would ever have of winning a prize of that magnitude instantly, due to comparatively small number of entries.

4/15/2013 07:49 - m. earl b.

you are right. it's best not to buy anything 2nd chance because your chances of winning anything against the odds are null. they tell you this on the internet/youtube. i do very little second chances. that's just all of your money going to waste.you can buy the whole roll and yet don't even come near breaking even. think about it.

4/12/2013 02:02 - NC Lottery

@ PLAYER (J) - As long as you have one entry in a drawing, you have a chance to win. There is no amount of points or entries that will ever guarantee anyone a prize.. only more chances to win. Someone with just one entry in a drawing could win, or it could be someone with more.

4/12/2013 10:13 - Sandra H.

i have noticed that 2nd chance tickets are less winners Don't care what your explanation is!

4/11/2013 11:29 - Reneta M.

I spent quite a bit in scratch offs today, no what I got a big fat 0000000000. Those tickets hitting the right places.

4/11/2013 10:31 - lashonda W.

Ive never won anything big. Ive been doing lucke rewards since it started and i havent won anything yet. I havent even seen any winners from the rockingham county area. Im almost ready to give up cause im spending and not winning on tickets or 2nd chance.....

4/10/2013 09:13 - John I.

How many points do you need to win a weekly prizes on wednesday drawing,when are million bullion non winning tickets entries drawing held?

4/10/2013 07:17 - Whitney H.

when is my time coming i hope soon, my mom and need it.

4/10/2013 05:41 - m. earl b.

52/20d tickets!!! WOW! that's over 1k. why are you playing the lottery if you have that kind of money to throw away? wow!

4/10/2013 01:34 - NC Lottery

@ CHRISTOPHERT - Quite often, state lotteries will pull a scratch-off game once the prizes at a certain level have been claimed. In the case of Holiday Millions, all three $1 million prizes have been claimed, as well as the $3 million second-chance prize. So at $20 per ticket, that game will be ending. Don't worry, we'll always be introducing new games throughout the year :-)

4/10/2013 01:32 - clara m.

Thanks!

4/10/2013 01:32 - NC Lottery

@ PATRICIA - Please call our player customer service team and they'll help get you set up: 877-962-7529

4/10/2013 01:31 - NC Lottery

@ BADDCATT326 - Hey, glad to hear you won some prize money!!! :-D

4/10/2013 11:33 - clara m.

I've done pretty good on the monopoly tickets.Won about $200 past couple of wks.And today I bought 2 $5 tickets and won$500 on one ticket.Not bad since I was getting gas to cut grass.

4/10/2013 11:01 - Patricia W.

HOW CAN I. SIGN UP FOR TEXT OF THE WINNING NUMBERS? IT USED TO DISPLAYED BUT NOT ANYMORE. SINCE I CANT UPDATE I DONT ALWAYS GET MY TEXT AFTER EACH DRAW

4/10/2013 10:27 - chris c.

Why are you taking the scratch-off tickets out of the retail stores, when there are still plenty of winning scratch-off tickets to be won, doesn`t seem right to me

4/10/2013 07:28 - NC Lottery

@ CASH5MAN - Any Lucke-Zone member can win in any Lucke-Rewards drawing, whether he or she has ever won before or not. The rules state that a member can win a maximum of one prize PER DRAWING.. but that has no effect on the chances that person could win in another drawing. So, good luck to you!

4/10/2013 07:27 - NC Lottery

@ CHRISTINA - A lot of folks from all across North Carolina entered for a chance to win in the Holiday Millions drawing, but we could only have one winner. Thank you for playing and we wish you the very best.

4/10/2013 06:41 - Roger K.

TO EVERYONE: Suppose you take a deck of cards, take out all the ace's but one ace, shuffle them cards up real good. Turn the cards face down on a table and then you pick one card from them laying face down. How long do you think it will take you to pick that one ace out! Go ahead and give it a try! That's the same way the scratch off's tickets are done, the winners are all shuffle in the book! Just pure luck to buy a winning tickets. I have done the same thing, buying lots of tickets! I only buy one or two tickets now. Hope this help all y'all out there in lotto land!

4/10/2013 06:22 - Roger K.

TO ALL: It does take a lot of luck to win!!! A whole lot of luck!!

4/10/2013 01:10 - christina m.

Just a little disappointed that I turned in 52 winners in that million Christmas ticket drawing and just found out the winner was not in Raleigh or me...I promised myself I would not play ever again...Seems like there is no point....Just waisted a lot of money those tickets were 20 a piece and I had 52 non winning tickets. Im done but good luck to you all.....

4/09/2013 08:58 - David A.

How many times can you win in the Lucke-Rewards game.

4/09/2013 05:58 - shirley b.

Congratulations to all of the winners!!!!!

4/09/2013 11:08 - NC Lottery

Three different vendors, in Georgia, Florida and Michigan, print instant tickets for the NCEL. Employees of these companies aren't allowed to play instant games in any states they produce tickets for. But even if they were allowed to, they wouldn't have any better chance of winning a prize playing an instant game than anybody else. Because the rolls of tickets are distributed by NCEL staff and nobody has any idea where the winning tickets could be. The rolls of tickets have to be scanned and activated in the computer system so that they can be sold. We have extensive security in place to make sure that the games are fair to everyone who plays, and those security procedures are reviewed/audited regularly.

4/09/2013 10:24 - NC Lottery

@ VERN - If you read our response carefully, what you will see is that, if a game starts with odds of 1 in 4, those odds will change as people buy tickets, win prizes or don't win prizes. The point is that there are many winning tickets out there but they are not placed in every fourth or fifth position on a roll of tickets - that would be illegal. Scratch-off games work the same way in any other state. Lottery games are games of chance, there are always many more non-winning tickets than winning tickets, that's what makes it possible to have the chance to win a prize like $100, $1,000, $10,000, $100,000 or $1 million. This is why we encourage folks to play the lottery for fun - it might only take one ticket, but no matter what, it takes a lot of luck to win.

4/08/2013 11:45 - john T.

@nsc2848 I too had the same garbage luck. Bought 5 10$ monopoly tix and 10 5$ monopoly tix and not one winner. I understand the illegal part but maybe better the odds on those bigger money tickets. There are 30 tickets on a roll of 10$ tix. To have 5 or 6 duds in a row just isn't right. I have bought whole rolls and seen a run of 11 none winners.

4/08/2013 09:28 - jerry h.

Thanks for letting me know that 1 in 4 means nothing every body needs to quit playing scratch offs it's a money racket I wish I had the money I've spent on the pos. Tickets I wish the lotto never came to north Carolina I always played in s.c. And virgina know I find my self playing scratch offs for nothing I mean dam I don't even have kids seams like a dead end 1 in 4 is not 1 in 4 then what is it please help

4/08/2013 08:46 - m. earl b.

is there a factory in nc that make the lottery tickets. if not where are they made and are the people at the factory allowed to play or do they tell their relatives where the tickets are going and which ones are winners? i have never bought so many non-winners from different stores of the same game in ALL my life.

4/08/2013 05:36 - NC Lottery

@ LATIERE @ ANNIEBEANS @ PLAYER (K27) @ PKEYS - You will get used to the rhythm of how winner information is updated in the Lucke-Zone. After the drawings are held, the winners are usually notified within 48 hours by e-mail. If they dont respond to e-mail, the lottery will try by phone and, if necessary, certified mail. A name cannot be announced until the winner completes the claim process which, for prizes of $600 and above, must be done in person at one of the lottery's regional claim centers. As you can see, it can take many days before any one winner's name can be announced. Good luck to you in an upcoming drawing!

4/08/2013 05:33 - NC Lottery

@ SANDRA - A $1 million-winning Powerball ticket for Saturday's drawing was sold in Jacksonville, and for Friday's Mega Millions drawing, a $10,000-winning ticket was sold at the Market Express on Seaside Road in Sunset Beach. Unless you spend time every day checking for lottery winner info on our website, you might miss when a lucky ticket is sold in your region of the state! :-)

4/08/2013 05:31 - NC Lottery

@ NSC2848 - The odds of winning a lottery prize on an instant scratch off game are set at the beginning of the game, and are accurate for the entire printing run of the game. Winning and non-winning tickets are distributed at random throughout the entire game. Imagine as an example that only 100 tickets were printed, and the odds of winning were 1 in 4 ... that would mean that 25 tickets had winning prizes and 75 did not. Then they all get shuffled together. As you can see, it's very possible to get many non-winning (or winning) tickets in a row. 1 in 4 odds does not mean that every fourth ticket on a particular roll is guaranteed to be a winning ticket, that would be illegal to place winning tickets in specific places. We wish you the best of luck on your next ticket - sometimes it only takes one to get lucky!

4/08/2013 05:22 - NC Lottery

@ LUCKYLISA - Yes!! You and your husband can each register for a Lucke-Zone account and enter tickets separately for Lucke-Rewards points. Good luck to BOTH of you! :-)

4/08/2013 05:21 - NC Lottery

@ J ROCK - Folks in Fayetteville have just as good a chance to win playing the lottery as anybody else! In fact, we've had many lottery winners from Fayetteville and the surrounding areas. Here is a link you can copy & paste for more info: http://bit.ly/ZiLake

4/08/2013 05:16 - NC Lottery

@ PLAYER (CK) - Some version of your question is the most common one that we get on the Lucke-Zone blog. Folks in the west/east say that folks in the east/west win; folks in cities/towns say that towns/cities win; the truth is, it takes a lot of luck to win a lottery prize no matter where you live.

4/08/2013 05:13 - NC Lottery

@ MENGLISH - We meet all different types of people who win lottery prizes. If you visit our website and click the "NEWS" link at the very top of the screen, you can read stories about a whole bunch of lottery players from different walks of life who won prizes. It takes a lot of luck to win, and lots of people are playing for a chance to win.

4/08/2013 05:12 - NC Lottery

@ MCHAVRZ73 - Please call our player customer service number toll free, our staff will answer your questions: 877-962-7529

4/08/2013 05:11 - NC Lottery

@ WINNER (LSW8) - It sounds like you have a Cash 5 Bonus Bucks entry slip. Just hang on to it until the next Bonus Bucks drawing, which will be held on June 3. The grand prize winner will get $50,000 and a Toyota Tundra! The winning entry numbers will be posted on our website after the drawing :-)

4/08/2013 05:08 - NC Lottery

@ VERN - Sorry to hear you didn't have good luck on those particular tickets. The odds of winning are set at the beginning of every game for the entire printing run of the game, with winning and non-winning tickets distributed at random throughout the entire game. It's very possible to get multiple non-winning (or winning) tickets in a row. It would be illegal and unfair to players to place winning tickets in specific places like every third, fourth, or fifth ticket on a particular roll.. because that would mean other players were guaranteed to buy non-winning tickets, and nobody would buy one right after a winning one was sold. It has to be completely random to be fair to everyone.

4/08/2013 04:54 - NC Lottery

@ PLAYER (HD) - The blog entry doesn't mention the total prizes won in the two Powerball and two Mega Millions drawings held since the last weekly wrap-up. That gets the total to the $23 million figure. Good to know some blog readers are getting every detail! :-)

4/08/2013 10:51 - Joy S.

Have the winners from last week drawings already been selected and notified?

4/08/2013 09:54 - Pardeep N.

Knock knock open the door for me too

4/08/2013 09:52 - Roger K.

WINNERS,WINNERS,WINNERS everywhere! "OH where "OH where are my winning tickets at! Play everytime, everyday! Cash5,MM,PB!! I have my 4 leaf clover, I have my Rabbits foot too. I also have my lucky buckeye! These things don't bring you luck. I'm going to throw them out!! I said I was going to quit playing draw games, but I have special numbers and I sure would hate it if they was drawn and I didn't play them! So I guess this is going to be my lifestyle, my hobby! But I Have to win big though! Need to get my wife out of that GOD forsaken place she works at. She ain't getting any younger or me either! We need a long vacation to KEY WEST FLA! Long Vacation in the NC mountains too!! So I'M IN IT TO WIN IT!!!! Congrats to all the folks here that have won, hope to have my name there soon!!!

4/08/2013 09:10 - Ann J.

Still waiting on who the 5 winners are for the $5,000 drawing which closed on April 3.

4/08/2013 06:45 - Linda R.

it is now time for me to win. congradulations on all who have won. my time has come.

4/08/2013 12:11 - Anita S.

Hoping to win BIG SOON!!!

4/07/2013 10:44 - Thomas H.

I am going to win $50,000 or more on these scratch off tickets. It's only a matter of time, I'm very close to the big win. I can feel it will come soon. Thank You. And Praise The Lord or God!

4/07/2013 10:22 - Karren T.

Does anyone know how they notify winners?? Do they call or mail something to you?? I wonder!!

4/07/2013 10:00 - Geoffrey Y.

You will see me as a big winner on here soon.. LOL.. probably not but you cant win if you don't play though. Even if you only buy one ticket it gives you a chance.

4/07/2013 08:29 - jerry h.

Must be nice just got five ruby red 7s 10.00 tickets all losers so please tell me how they say the odds including break-even are 1:3.33 what happen to me with 5 losers in a row I call BULL S---

4/07/2013 06:55 - cynthia g.

I'm next

4/07/2013 02:44 - Patti K.

So happy for ALL the winners :) I am patiently waiting my BIG financial blessing. I do not see the winners for the 5 for $5,000 and the $2,500 drawings that were suppose to take place on 4/3/2013. Have those drawings taken place yet? Just curious. Thank you!

4/07/2013 01:50 - Daphne M.

How do I check this "Keep this slip" Entry ? Number or what is it for?

4/07/2013 01:13 - marjorie c.

this miss me up on how do i see if my we get 2 mub cash 5 so i need so help i have to much money in my ticket pls help me out of u haveing me thank you so much to see the win mub thank u ms.chavez/ just love to know tu/

4/07/2013 09:45 - Patrick O.

Congrats to all

4/07/2013 09:21 - walter b.

Wow. if you add everything up that is listed in the news article, it's not quite 23 Million. Where's the remainder? (Math major humor)

4/06/2013 09:20 - Cynthia H.

good luck my time is coming

4/06/2013 06:40 - Jennifer B.

my day is coming soon.. I know it!!

4/06/2013 06:19 - monica e.

I've been playing this NC. lotto, since they came out with it. Never seem to Win anything off it! Not even off the second chance drawings. Already Rich or Old people win.

4/06/2013 05:01 - Lynn E.

Congradulations, I'm so much looking for this kind of luck, I just keep buying and scratching.

4/06/2013 03:38 - juan s.

why is majority of sratch off winners are from west of higway 70,like western part of the state

4/06/2013 02:56 - Helen J.

I really hope I win something, so i can pay off my Hospital bills

4/06/2013 02:56 - Barbara S.

I lived in Florida 3 years and played the lottery every week, now here I have played every week since the VA and NC lottery and have never won big....give the OLD LADY a CHANCE!

4/06/2013 02:40 - Stephanie G.

I can't wait to win;)

4/06/2013 11:54 - Jerry C.

I've notice no winners from Fayetteville. Is it because of the military base so close ? If so let me know so i can go outside the area to purchase my lottery . Jerryc !!!

4/06/2013 10:48 - falecial d.

Thats awesome. Congrats to all.

4/06/2013 07:49 - Harrison S.

thank god for all .

4/06/2013 02:25 - Frank Giovanny C.

I HAVE BEEN PLAYING LOTTO, LONG TIME BEFORE EVEN GOT STARTED IN NORTH CAROLINA, I DO REMEMBER I USED TO DRIVE ALL THE WAY FROM WINSTON SALEM, TO VIRGINIA BORDER SINCE 1989. I'VE BEEN PLAYING FOR 24 YEARS..I ALREADY WON A BIG PRICE!!! JUST DON'T GIVE UP!!! KEEP IT UP!!! YOU COULD BE THE NEXT MILLIONAIRE!!!

4/06/2013 02:01 - Lisa B.

Can my husband and I both have a lucke-rewards account?

4/06/2013 01:24 - Tajauna M.

Wow blessing to all congratulations I praying my time come soon

4/05/2013 11:43 - Sandra L.

No big winners on the coast.

4/05/2013 11:00 - brenda i.

wonderful i am waiting for day. congrats to all

4/05/2013 10:38 - Nathan C.

So i bought 2 of the $5 Monopoly Scratchers, nothing, so then i bought one by one, Started on ticket number 7, played through ticket 16, nothing, not even $5. Needless to say the 1 in 4.00 is wrong. 10 tickets with nothing in a row and according to your "overall odds" There should have been a 2.5 in 10 chance of winning on those...

4/05/2013 10:29 - rosalind m.

Im happy for everyone that won this week, hope I will be here soon.

4/05/2013 09:10 - David T.

I hope i win soon

4/05/2013 08:02 - Tramaine D.

I'm next!!

4/05/2013 07:44 - herman b.

I AM LOOKING FOR THAT BIG WIN TO COME MY WAY

4/05/2013 07:17 - robert e.

My family needs a New life and a New start in life

4/05/2013 06:23 - Kapil S.

Thanks a lot.

4/05/2013 05:48 - george w.

I seen a $1000.00 winner in Hillsborough out of all of that.

Win up to $1,000,000 every 4 minutes

Big Thrills Served Fast.

Progressive Jackpot Estimate

Lottery players win more than $23 million this week

April 5, 2013 Posted by NC Lottery at 4:48 PM

Helpful Links

Get the Mobile App

No Longer Just a Game? There's Help