WILMINGTON, NC — A Wilmington, North Carolina, woman is a lot richer after buying her first lottery ticket ever.
Cindy Reeves, a stockroom clerk, said she has worked hard all her life, according to a news release from the North Carolina Education Lottery. Sunday morning, the Wilmington native bought a $20 scratch-off ticket at the Shop-N-Go on Market Street. The ticket for the $4,000,000 Multiplier Spectacular turned out to be a $1 million winner.
As a new player Reeves was unsure whether or not she had won a prize. She called her boyfriend, Rick Jocheim, who plays lottery games, and they figured out she'd won.
The couple went to Raleigh yesterday to collect the prize money. Winners of $1 million in the game have the option of claiming it in $50,000 payments as a 20-year annuity or a one-time lump sum of $600,000.
"I'm going to pay off everything I owe," Reeves said after taking the cash option.
She said that her after-tax winnings of $415,206 would also allow her to take a trip to Disney World and visit the North Carolina Mountains with her sister.
"She really deserves this," Jocheim said. "It could not have happened to a better person."
Congratulations Cindy Reeves, Spend Wisely
She said that her after-tax winnings of $415,206 would also allow her to take a trip to..
Nice beginners luck!
$1,000,000-$415,206= $584,794. In lottery speak you have to win about $3M to bring home $1M.
Tired of these FIRST TIME PLAYERS winning a million ayeah right man gtfoh
That is so cool. it was meant to be, Congrats Cindy, enjoy!
I agree with you Smooth! First time playing my butt!!!
Screw her!!!
If I ever win anything big, I will tell the media it was my first time playing as well just to irritate every regular player out there.
First time and she won? Amazing!!!! Congratulations. I hope she takes some of her winnings and invests it!!!
I'm happy for her but can the state of NC get a jackpot win.
4 year drought here
Shouldn't she have netted around half a mil? All taxes should average around 50% of the prize. Around 40% federal and additional states taxes averaging around 6% so I don't understand why her net is lower. Can someone clarify the taxes?
It bothers me already
You guys...
When I win the JP I'm gonna have the lottery make the following statement just to read the funny comments:
"To my Lotterypost.com friends, it is hard to believe but this was really my first time buying a lottery ticket".
Can you explain that? Why? If she chooses the lump sum, aren't all the federal taxes taken out before she receives the money in the bank?
Nice!