A tip from a Walmart employee convinced Michael Buck of Rocky Mount to try his luck in the record $2.04 billion Powerball drawing, resulting in a $100,000 prize.
“The girl at the pharmacy told me they sold Powerball tickets at customer service,” Buck said. “I told her, ‘If I win I’ll come back and buy you a car.’”
Buck, a 62-year-old solutions architect, matched numbers on four white balls and the Powerball to win $50,000 on his Power Play ticket. The prize doubled to $100,000 when the 2X Power Play multiplier hit.
“I didn’t hit the jackpot so I can’t buy her a car but I’ll definitely bring her something,” he said.
Buck bought his $3 Quick Pick ticket from the Walmart Supercenter on Benvenue Road in Rocky Mount.
“I usually start playing when the jackpot goes over $500 million,” he said. “This win really is quite extraordinary.”
He said he didn’t know how to react when he realized he won.
“I kind of just walked around the house a little bit,” Buck said. “I was shaking.”
Buck’s win was one of 10 big wins for North Carolinians in the drawing, including one $1 million winner. Buck claimed his prize Tuesday at lottery headquarters and, after required federal and state tax withholdings, took home $71,017.
He said a large amount of his winnings will boost his retirement.
Powerball is one of four lottery 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 with the NC Lottery Official Mobile App. The other games are Mega Millions, Lucky For Life, and Carolina Cash 5.
Ticket sales from scratch-off games make it possible for the lottery to raise more than $2.5 million a day on average for education. A $10 million grant, using money raised by the lottery, helped Nash County build the new Red Oak Elementary School. For details on other ways Nash County benefits from lottery funds, visit www.nclottery.com and click on the “Impact” section.
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