North Carolina

Mom’s advice to buy lottery ticket pays off for nurse in NC. ‘Couldn’t even sleep’

“I never could’ve dreamed this,” she said.
“I never could’ve dreamed this,” she said. North Carolina Education Lottery

Wise words turned into wealth after a North Carolina nurse took her mother’s advice and bought a lottery ticket.

Gina Dillard had never played Fast Play in the lottery before her mom recommended she give it a shot, lottery officials said.

When she won $254,926, she told lottery officials she couldn’t believe it.

“I never could’ve dreamed this,” Dillard told lottery officials. “I couldn’t even sleep last night.”

Dillard bought her lucky ticket July 19 at the AJ Food Mart in Mocksville, according to lottery officials.

She took home $181,024 after taxes and plans to use the winnings to pay off her house and car, lottery officials said.

The odds of winning a Fast Play jackpot are 1-in-320,000, according to the North Carolina Education Lottery.

Mocksville is 60 miles northeast of Charlotte.

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 July 21, 2022 at 5:35 PM with the headline "Mom’s advice to buy lottery ticket pays off for nurse in NC. ‘Couldn’t even sleep’."

Alison Cutler
mcclatchy-newsroom
Alison Cutler is a National Real Time Reporter for the Southeast at McClatchy. She graduated from the Walter Cronkite School of Journalism and Mass Communication at Arizona State University and previously worked for The News Leader in Staunton, VA, a branch of USAToday.
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