Last Updated on November 30, 2024 10:40 am
Linda Wilkes of Roaring River had a hard time believing her eyes when a $3 Powerball purchase won her a $500,000 prize.
“I was in disbelief,” Wilkes said. “Then I immediately called my mom.”
Wilkes bought her lucky Quick Pick ticket for the Nov. 4 drawing using Online Play. She matched the numbers on four white balls and the red Powerball to win $50,000. Because she bought a Power Play ticket, her prize grew to $500,000 when the 10X multiplier hit.
“Everybody always says, ‘What if I won the lottery, that would open a lot of doors,’” Wilkes said. “And then I did.”
She arrived at lottery headquarters on Wednesday to claim her winnings and, after required federal and state tax withholdings, took home $357,501.
Wilkes plans to use her winnings to look for a new home.
Wednesday’s Powerball jackpot stands at a $196 million annuity or $90.7 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.
Play Smart, Gift Smart is the N.C. Education Lottery's annual campaign highlighting the risks of youth gambling. The campaign raises awareness that popular holiday scratch-offs should only be gifted to adults. In this year’s campaign, North Carolinians can donate school supplies at a lottery claim center, support a good cause, and get a chance to win a prize. Visit NCEL Play Smart for more information.
