North Carolina

Woman scratches North Carolina lottery ticket — and then the tequila starts flowing

Laura Miller plans to pay off her truck with her prize money.
Laura Miller plans to pay off her truck with her prize money. North Carolina Education Lottery

Laura Miller was out of town on Christmas, so she and her boyfriend celebrated late.

While opening her stocking, Miller, 35, discovered a Cashword Multiplier scratch-off ticket, according to a Jan. 27 lottery news release.

After finding the ticket, Miller began scratching.

“When I was scratching I was like, ‘I’m pretty sure I did this wrong,’” she told officials.

That’s when she saw her $150,000 prize — and the tequila started flowing.

“First thing I did was take a shot of tequila,” Miller said. “I guess I was just shocked.”

Miller collected her prize on Thursday, Jan. 26, and after taxes, she took home $106,876, officials said. Miller said she plans to pay off her truck using her prize.

The winning $5 ticket came from Askins Creek Store in Avon, about 235 miles east of Raleigh.

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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Moira Ritter
mcclatchy-newsroom
Moira Ritter covers real-time news for McClatchy. She is a graduate of Georgetown University where she studied government, journalism and German. Previously, she reported for CNN Business.
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