NC mechanic thought his lottery ticket was ‘fake.’ Now he has plans for a new house
A North Carolina man who thought his lottery ticket was “fake” ended up getting a big windfall.
Now, he plans to buy a new house, officials said Wednesday.
“I never thought I’d be in a position to do this,” James Todd of Bladen County said in a news release from the NC Education Lottery. “Right now, my dream is just to have something in my name.”
Todd, a mechanic, found out he won thousands of dollars when he turned the lottery’s Big Spin wheel Tuesday, according to a lottery video.
Footage shows “The Price is Right”-style wheel rotating until it stops on the $200,000 prize, prompting cheers and a burst of confetti.
He had his dream in mind even before spinning the wheel, according to an interview he gave before the live event.
“Depending on what I win, I might get a house built,” he said in an NC Education Lottery video. “I’ve got a little piece of land at home.”
His lucky moment came after Todd went to the Sun-Do Kwik Shop in Lumberton, about 40 miles southwest of Fayetteville, the lottery says.
There, he bought a $5 scratch-off for the Big Spin game, according to officials.
“I thought I was looking at a fake ticket,” the mechanic told the lottery. “I didn’t believe it until I took it to the claim center to have them check it.”
The ticket was real, and Todd is taking home $141,763 after taxes, according to the lottery’s news release.
In the game, “players can win a cash prize instantly, or get directed to a website where they can spin a digital wheel and win a cash prize or a BIG SPIN,” the release says.
Those who get the Big Spin prize have an opportunity to win up to $500,000 on the NC Education Lottery wheel, according to officials.
The lottery says ticket sales help raise money for education.
This story was originally published November 6, 2019 at 1:05 PM with the headline "NC mechanic thought his lottery ticket was ‘fake.’ Now he has plans for a new house."
