Warehouse worker wins $50 — and uses prize to buy lottery ticket worth much more in NC
A man was leaving work when he scored a $50 lottery win — and it was just the start to his lucky streak.
Frederick Allen Jr. was claiming his prize when he decided to get another lottery ticket. That scratch-off was worth $100,000 — making him even richer, the N.C. Education Lottery said in a news release.
“It felt good,” Allen, a warehouse worker, told lottery officials on Monday, Nov. 8. “I thought I was dreaming.”
Allen’s good fortune started when he was heading home from work last week. While at a Durham convenience store, he bought a scratch-off that won him $50, officials said.
Back home in Raleigh, he cashed in on his prize at Public Mini Mart, a convenience store on Glenwood Avenue. Then, officials said Allen spent some of his winnings on a $20 ticket for the Grand Money scratch-off game.
That ticket was worth much more, and Allen kept $70,756 after taxes, the N.C. Education Lottery said.
After winning the extra cash, Allen said he would be “giving my kids some of it so they can be all right, and then keep the rest in the bank so I can live comfortably and not be stressed.”
It’s not the first time someone collecting a small prize ended up with a bigger win.
In August, a North Carolina man cashing in on his $50 win made a “last minute” decision to try his luck again — and the second lottery ticket hit the jackpot, McClatchy News reported.
BEHIND THE STORY
MOREWhen gambling is more than a game
Gambling is designed to be a source of entertainment.
If you or a loved one shows signs of gambling addiction, you can seek help by calling the national gambling hotline at 1-800-522-4700 or visiting the National Council on Problem Gambling website.
This story was originally published November 10, 2021 at 11:12 AM with the headline "Warehouse worker wins $50 — and uses prize to buy lottery ticket worth much more in NC."
