Group of friends that played NC lottery together for 14 years finally hits jackpot
A group of friend’s dedication finally paid off big time in the North Carolina lottery.
The six friends from Holly Ridge have been playing the lottery together for 14 years, according to a release from the North Carolina Education Lottery. Each week, they all chip in $6 and buy a Powerball ticket from a local pub.
“We’ve been doing it since the lottery started in North Carolina,” group member Brenda White told lottery officials.
The group started out with 25 people but has since dwindled down to six, according to the lottery.
Staying in the group proved worthwhile, as the friends won a $150,000 Powerball jackpot last month, according to the lottery’s Monday release.
Joanna Barton, who is in charge of collecting the money from the other members, bought the winning ticket from Dale’s Pub, where she works, the release says.
“We always go Quick Pick,” Barton told lottery officials. “We missed it by one! We could’ve been millionaires!”
The ticket matched four of the white balls and the Powerball number, winning the group $50,000, according to the lottery. Their prize was tripled with the drawing of the 3X multiplier.
The group, which calls themselves the Dale’s Pub Lottery group, told lottery officials they don’t plan to stop playing.
“Not til I see that second comma,” Barton told lottery officials.
Now that they’re on a “win streak,” the group told lottery officials they’re “not letting anyone else in.”
The group split the $150,000 prize and each took home $17,691 after taxes, according to the lottery. They all have different plans for the money.
Some told lottery officials they’ll pay off bills or finish work on their homes while other plan to take a vacation or buy a pool table.
