James Roy of Fuquay-Varina sat at home Friday playing digital instants when out of nowhere he hit a $488,063 jackpot.
“It was a life-changing event,” he said.
Roy then immediately called out to his wife in the other room.
“I said, ‘Honey, we won a lot of money,’” he recalled.
Roy wagered 50 cents and won the top level ‘Epic jackpot’ in the Bison Bonanza game. The digital instant game features a progressive jackpot that can be won at any time. The odds of that win were 1 in 62 million.
“It just shows anybody can win on anything,” Roy said.
He claimed his prize Wednesday at lottery headquarters and, after required federal and state tax withholdings, took home $350,185.
Roy plans to use his winnings to pay some bills, pay off his RV, and take a train trip across Canada with his wife.
In the Bison Bonanza digital instant game, a player can play from 50 cents to $30. After Roy won the jackpot, it restarted at $50,000 and has grown to over $106,000 as of Thursday morning.
Digital instant games are played exclusively online on the lottery’s website or on the NC Lottery Official Mobile App. Fifty-five different games are available to play online now.
The N.C. Education Lottery’s Play Smart™ program helps North Carolinians make the most of their lottery play. Visit ncplaysmart.com to learn about all things lottery, from tips on how odds work to how to enter bonus drawings.
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