Ebony Jacobs of North Carolina said she was “in shock” when she realized she had won
Credit: NC Education Lottery
NEED TO KNOW
- A North Carolina woman won a $200,000 lottery prize after stopping at a convenience store to buy her daughter a snack
- Ebony Jacobs said she was so shocked by the win that she had to put on a different pair of glasses to double-check the ticket
- After taxes, she took home more than $144,000 and has since revealed what she plans to do with the money
A North Carolina woman’s quick stop to buy her daughter a snack ended with a life-changing surprise after she scratched off a lottery ticket worth $200,000.
Ebony Jacobs of Fayetteville said she purchased a $5 Mega Bucks scratch-off ticket while visiting the PMG Short Stop convenience store on Ramsey Street, according to a press release from the North Carolina Education Lottery (NCEL).
“Playing the lottery is my happy place,” Jacobs told NCEL, per the release.
Credit: NC Education Lottery
After returning to her truck, Jacobs scratched the ticket and realized she had won the game’s top prize.
“I had to put my other glasses on to check it because I was just in shock,” she said with a laugh. “My heart was racing.”
Jacobs visited lottery headquarters on July 30 to collect her winnings. After the required federal and state tax withholdings, she took home $144,021.
“This is coming at a great time,” she said.
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Jacobs said she plans to use the money to purchase a new car and treat her family to a vacation.
The Mega Bucks scratch-off game launched in June and originally offered five top prizes of $200,000. According to the lottery, three of those grand prizes remained available as of July 31.
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