Iredell County woman fiddles around and wins $150,000 prize

July 15, 2026 Posted by NC Lottery at 8:59 AM

Sue Rowley of Mooresville couldn’t sleep on Wednesday so she got out her phone, started playing Digital Instant games, and suddenly hit a $150,000 prize.

“It was late at night and I was just fiddling around playing when it happened,” Rowley recalled.

She won her big prize on a lucky $30 play on the new Tumbling Treasures game. The odds of that win are 1 in 2 million.

“I just didn’t believe it at the time because this is not a normal occurrence,” she laughed.

Rowley claimed her prize at lottery headquarters Monday in Raleigh. After required federal and state tax withholdings, she took home $108,023.

“We are pretty excited,” Rowley said.

She plans to use her winnings to do some home renovations.

Digital Instant games are played exclusively online on the lottery’s website or on the NC Lottery Official Mobile App. Seventy-eight different games are available to play online now.

18 COMMENTS

7/22/2026 10:26 - Chris H.

I enjoy playing but lotteries are like politicians. Maybe even more dishonest. Who you think is getting rich off these lottery’s not us that’s for sure. I work in Virginia and play scratch offs there. I win wayyyy more than in NC. Virginia puts out new scratch offs and within 6-8 months all the top prizes have been won. NC will have a ticket out for well over a year and no top prize won. Now how do you explain that?NC Lottery
Hi, Chris! We offer a variety of games with varying top prizes and odds of winning. We see big winners all across the state, but there's no telling when or where a top prize will be scratched off.

7/20/2026 04:02 - Brian T.

They said they rotate machines and balls for fairness. That way there's always a point of deflection for them when pinned down for the truth. Lotteries are no different than a shell game hustler on the sidewalk except now the weight of our society's success is at stake. Shame to those who knowingly sham honest players for the sake of money.NC Lottery
Hi Brian! All of our practices are independently reviewed and audited to ensure fairness to all of our players – including our draw games. We conduct pre-draws before each drawing to ensure the machines are working as they should be, and each combination has the exact same odds of being drawn in each drawing. All of our live drawings are open to the public—we invite you to attend one to see the process for yourself. If you're interested in attending, all you need to do is give our security team a call at 1-888-732-6235 and let them know when you would like to come.

7/20/2026 05:34 - shirley b.

Hi where is 210. Why does a number come out 7 times in one year and not once in another. Explain please.NC Lottery
Our team has strict security procedures in place to ensure that every set of numbers has the exact same chance of being drawn in every drawing. This includes using a randomly selected ball machine and randomly selected ball set during each different drawing. Every combination has a 1 in 1,000 chance of being drawn in each and every drawing. In games where you can choose numbers from 0-9, it’s no surprise that we see similar patterns come up every so often.

7/20/2026 01:06 - Julie N.

So glad so see you win big! How much did you spend before it hit? Just curious cuz if I could afford $30 spins I wouldn't need to play!

7/19/2026 06:51 - Kong D.

Did I win anything wondering if y'all can check pleaseNC Lottery
If you're a lucky winner through Online Play, you'll receive an email notifying you of your win with instructions on how to claim your prize. Prizes under $600 will automatically be deposited into your account balance for you to withdraw.

7/18/2026 12:36 - Priscilla H.

Congradulations.

7/17/2026 10:25 - Amy G.

Congratulations Sue!

7/17/2026 09:24 - Stephanie M.

Congrats on your win. Hopefully I'm next.NC Lottery
Wishing you lots of luck!

7/17/2026 02:40 - Robert f.

Congratulations nice win

7/16/2026 11:25 - Paula F.

Congratulations ????

7/16/2026 05:10 - komal v.

Congratulations!!

7/16/2026 07:34 - Steven B.

so nice that you won

7/16/2026 04:12 - Brian T.

Lol, "just fiddling around". $30 is a week's groceries for a lot of people. Shame to NCEL for baiting the public with their rigged games and janky news articles. When government and businesses lose respect for people over money, society will fail.

7/15/2026 06:09 - Nancy B.

Congratulations

7/15/2026 04:23 - Karen M.

Congratulations!

7/15/2026 04:08 - Saul Ernesto J.

Congratulations ?? ??

7/15/2026 01:16 - Julia M.

Congratulations

7/15/2026 10:26 - Angela A.

Congrats! I know she was not playing for long on a $30 play, because I lose hundreds in minutes playing for .50 I went like 24 plays not a single red cent $0.00

Iredell County woman fiddles around and wins $150,000 prize

July 15, 2026 Posted by NC Lottery at 8:59 AM

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