Rhonda Villasenor of Mebane said “it was almost like an out-of-body experience” after her Lucky for Life ticket won a prize of $25,000 a year for the rest of her life.
“I was screaming so much I was freaking my dogs out,” Villasenor laughed. “They must have thought something was wrong with me.”
Villasenor, 50, matched all five white balls in Monday’s drawing to win her prize. She bought her lucky $2 ticket using Online Play.
“When I saw it said 500,000, I was literally stunned,” Villasenor said.
Villasenor arrived at lottery headquarters Thursday to collect her winnings. She had the choice of taking the prize as an annuity, receiving $25,000 every year for the rest of her life, or the lump-sum amount of $390,000. She chose the $390,000 lump sum and, after required federal and state tax withholdings, took home $276,943.
Villasenor said she wants to use the money to build a pool, go on vacation, and possibly start another business. She said she currently owns a concrete company but she has many ideas for new businesses.
Lucky for Life 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, either through the lottery’s website or with the NC Lottery Official Mobile App. Lucky for Life drawings are held every night and offer a top prize of $1,000 a day for life. The odds of winning the second prize, $25,000 a year for life, are 1 in 1.8 million.
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