Charlotte man beats 1 in 15.5 million odds to win life-changing NC lottery prize

A persistent Charlotte man just saw his lottery routine pay off with a $668,911 jackpot — beating odds of 1 in 15.5 million, according to the North Carolina Education Lottery.

Osama Lafi won the pile of cash playing a “digital instant game” known as Bison Bonanza, lottery officials said in a news release.

It’s played exclusively online, with players wagering between 50 cents and $30 on jackpots that grow until someone wins.

Lafi wagered $2 on June 28 and won at the “Epic jackpot” level, the biggest of the jackpots.

“My heart was beating so fast,” he said in the release. “I was screaming on the inside.”

Lafi says his lottery routine is a matter of timing. He plays at night, just before going to bed.

“When I won, I was half asleep and half awake. I could barely sleep after that though,” Lafi said.

“I knew it was going to come,” he said. “I just had to have patience, keep trying, and then finally it happened.”

He collected his money Wednesday, July 24, at lottery headquarters in Raleigh. The prize came to $478,272 after federal and state taxes, officials said.

His plan is to buy a new car, put some money in savings and “help some friends and family.”

After Lafi won, the “Epic jackpot” restarted at $50,000 and had grown to more than $126,000 as of Thursday, July 25, officials said.

This story was originally published July 25, 2024 at 12:12 PM with the headline "Charlotte man beats 1 in 15.5 million odds to win life-changing NC lottery prize."