Stanley Thompson of Wingate debated not buying a Powerball ticket for the Dec. 10 drawing but he changed his mind, tried his luck, and won a $150,000 prize.
“I almost didn’t buy it but I decided to at the last minute,” he recalled.
Thompson bought his lucky $3 ticket using Online Play. He matched the numbers on four white balls and the red Powerball to win $50,000. Because he bought a Power Play ticket, his prize tripled to $150,000 when the 3X multiplier hit.
“I’m glad I played the multiplier,” Thompson laughed. “I like to play when the jackpot starts growing and getting big.”
He arrived at lottery headquarters Friday to claim his winnings and, after required federal and state tax withholdings, took home $108,016.
“It’s starting to sink in more now,” Thompson said after receiving his big check. “It’s very satisfying.”
He plans to use his winnings to pay some bills and invest.
Monday’s Powerball jackpot stands at a $137 million annuity or $61.9 million in cash. The odds of winning a Powerball jackpot are 1 in 292 million.
Powerball is one of six draw 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 the NC Lottery Official Mobile App.
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