North Carolina

Mom was ‘adamant’ she was going to win North Carolina lottery prize. She was right

Natalie Carraway said her prize “is a blessing.”
Natalie Carraway said her prize “is a blessing.” North Carolina Education Lottery

Natalie Carraway recently predicted she was going to win the lottery.

“I kept saying I was going to win the $200,000,” she told officials, according to a Jan. 31 North Carolina Education Lottery news release. “I was adamant about it.”

Carraway, 46, and her daughter went to buy a Hot 5’s ticket at the Circle K on Carolina Beach Road in Wilmington. That’s where she learned her prediction came true: She won the top prize, officials said.

After seeing her prize on the scratch-off game, Carraway celebrated with her daughter and the store manager, she told officials.

“I just looked at her and started jumping up and down,” Carraway said. “And then I just started crying.”

The manager was excited about the win, too.

“He told me he wouldn’t have wanted it to happen to anyone else,” Carraway told officials.

After state and federal taxes, Carraway took home $142,501. She told officials the prize “couldn’t have come at a better time.”

“It is such a blessing,” she said.

Carraway said she plans to use her prize to pay bills, do some renovations and buy a car.

Many people can gamble or play games of chance without harm. However, for some, gambling is an addiction that can ruin lives and families.

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.

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This story was originally published January 31, 2023 at 4:47 PM with the headline "Mom was ‘adamant’ she was going to win North Carolina lottery prize. She was right."

Moira Ritter
mcclatchy-newsroom
Moira Ritter covers real-time news for McClatchy. She is a graduate of Georgetown University where she studied government, journalism and German. Previously, she reported for CNN Business.
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