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‘Do you see what I see?’ Lottery player can’t believe huge North Carolina jackpot prize

A North Carolina man has big plans after winning a life-changing jackpot, lottery officials said.
A North Carolina man has big plans after winning a life-changing jackpot, lottery officials said. Getty Images

A North Carolina man couldn’t take his eyes off his lottery ticket after netting a life-changing prize.

“I sat there just looking at it,” William Bridgers said of the moment he realized he’d won a $200,000 jackpot, according to North Carolina Education Lottery officials.

Bridgers, a Raleigh resident, took a chance on the new Game of Thrones scratch-off game he bought from a Speedway store on Creedmoor Road, officials said. He waited until he was home to scratch the ticket and rushed to show his wife his big win.

“I told her, ‘Do you see what I see?’” he recalled to officials. “She didn’t believe it.”

Bridgers claimed his prize Aug. 29 and took home $143,001 after taxes, officials said.

Now, he and his wife have plans to remodel their home.

“My wife has been wanting to do renovations in the kitchen for a long time,” Bridgers told officials.

The lucky player beat odds of 1 in 1,231,524 to win the game’s grand prize, according to the North Carolina Education Lottery. Four top prizes are still up for grabs.

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 September 3, 2024 at 3:45 PM with the headline "‘Do you see what I see?’ Lottery player can’t believe huge North Carolina jackpot prize."

Tanasia Kenney
Sun Herald
Tanasia is a service journalism reporter at the Charlotte Observer | CharlotteFive, working remotely from Atlanta, Georgia. She covers restaurant openings/closings in Charlotte and statewide explainers for the NC Service Journalism team. She’s been with McClatchy since 2020.
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