On Friday afternoon, just as Pernell Shoulars Jr. of Fayetteville tried his luck at winning a $272,000 Fast Play jackpot, he saw it was won and figured he was out of luck.
“I thought someone else hit it right before me,” Shoulars said. “Then he told me, ‘You did it, you hit it.’”
The store clerk delivered the good news that Shoulars’ $10 Triple Win ticket that he purchased at the Short Trip on Stoney Point Road in Fayetteville hit the jackpot, winning him $272,829.
“We’re just ecstatic,” said Shoulars, a 44-year-old contractor. “It’s truly a blessing.”
Shoulars said he called his wife immediately to tell her the good news.
“She was at a convention with some friends so they popped some champagne to celebrate,” Shoulars said.
He arrived at lottery headquarters Tuesday to claim his prize and, after required state and federal tax withholdings, took home $193,739. Shoulars said he wants to take care of some stuff around his house, invest in his business, and take a vacation with his wife.
“We’re going to enjoy it,” he said, “but we’re going to be smart with it too.”
The Fast Play rolling jackpot grows with every ticket purchased. When Shoulars made his purchase, it had just reached $272,829. Because he bought a $10 ticket, he won 100 percent of the jackpot.
When a Fast Play jackpot is won, it starts over at $20,000. On Thursday morning, the jackpot was $89,000 and growing. The odds of winning a Fast Play jackpot are 1 in 320,000.
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