Stop at a Triangle gas station nets NC lottery player a ‘surreal’ prize
AI-generated summary reviewed by our newsroom.
- Kenly man Harlee Aliff bought a $20 Stacks of Cash ticket and won $2 million.
- Aliff claimed a lump sum of $864,126 after taxes at lottery headquarters on Jan. 22.
- Two $2 million Stacks of Cash prizes remained available per the lottery site on Jan. 27.
What started as a routine stop to a Raleigh-area convenience store ended with a life-changing lottery win for a lucky North Carolina man.
Harlee Aliff of Kenly netted the first $2 million prize in the Stacks of Cash scratch-off game, the North Carolina Education Lottery said in a Jan. 23 news release. He grabbed the $20 ticket during his break at the Handy Mart on Wilson’s Mills Road in Smithfield.
“It’s not something you can describe,” Aliff told lottery officials. “It’s surreal.”
The Johnston County man beat odds of 1 in 1,471,920 to snag the game’s jackpot prize. He claimed his winnings at lottery headquarters on Thursday, Jan. 22, and chose the lump sum option, taking home $864,126 after taxes.
Aliff said he already has big plans for his winnings, including buying a home and helping family.
“It’s coming at a great time,” he told officials. “It’s a breath of fresh air.”
Two $2 million prizes remain up for grabs in the Stacks of Cash scratch-off game as of Jan. 27, according to the lottery’s website.
North Carolina lottery wins
The News & Observer has reported on a few other local lottery wins recently, including a Rougemont man winning a $200,000 Powerball prize and a Raleigh woman winning $50,000.