Man spends extra dollar on a lottery ticket. It paid off big time in North Carolina
A North Carolina man used his extra dollar to buy a lottery ticket — and scored a huge prize.
Now, jackpot winner Gary Shelton II said he plans to use some of his prize money to spoil his wife and daughter.
“I can’t even put into words what this means,” Shelton told the N.C. Education Lottery in a Feb. 7 news release. “It’s just a blessing.”
Shelton, 53, celebrated the big win after he stopped at a store in Mount Airy, which is believed to be the inspiration for the fictional town of Mayberry on “The Andy Griffith Show.” While at the aptly-named Mayberry Mart, officials said Shelton tried his luck on the Powerball game.
“When the Powerball gets high I usually go buy one ticket and I just thought, ‘Well, I have a dollar left over so let me get one Cash 5 ticket too,’” he said, adding that he made the extra purchase just before leaving the store.
Officials said Shelton’s last-minute decision paid off big time. His ticket for the Cash 5 game beat 1-in-962,598 odds to hit the jackpot in the Jan. 28 drawing.
“It still doesn’t seem real,” he said in the news release. “It seems like the stars are aligning for us this year.”
Shelton — an educator from Mount Airy — won a total of $132,313. He kept $94,273 after taxes.
“Shelton said he has always liked bluegrass music so he used some of his winnings to buy a Martin guitar,” the N.C. Education Lottery wrote. “He said he will buy his wife and daughter whatever they want as well and put the rest in savings.”
Mount Airy is in Surry County, roughly 40 miles northwest of Winston-Salem. That town’s recent lottery winner isn’t the only one who has basked in a last-minute decision.
In South Carolina, a man bought a different lottery ticket than he originally planned, leading to a six-figure prize, McClatchy News reported in October.
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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.
This story was originally published February 7, 2023 at 12:57 PM with the headline "Man spends extra dollar on a lottery ticket. It paid off big time in North Carolina."
