Lottery player’s ‘normal routine’ will get family a new home after North Carolina win

As part of Chad Lequire’s “normal routine,” he walked into a convenience store and bought a lottery ticket for one of his favorite games, he told North Carolina officials.

His normal routine ended in an out-of-the-ordinary win on Sept. 27. Lequire’s $10 Big Bucks Bingo ticket landed him the jackpot of $827,330, North Carolina Education Lottery officials said in a Sept. 28 news release.

“I’ve never won anything big like this before,” Lequire said.

The Whittier resident plans to use the winnings to buy a new home for his family, he told lottery officials. He’ll also use some of the money to pay bills and help his family.

Big Bucks Bingo has a progressive jackpot, which increases until someone wins, according to the North Carolina lottery site. Lequire’s $10 Fast Play ticket won him the full jackpot.

He bought his winning ticket in the early morning at PJ’s Fast Food Mart in Sylva, and before the end of the day he had claimed his prize. After taxes, he walked away with nearly $590,000, officials said.

“I still can’t believe it right now to be honest with you,” Lequire said.

Whittier is 170 miles west of Charlotte.