Big lottery win "came right on time"
By Kate Northrop
HIGH POINT, N.C. — A North Carolina man's strategy to win a $200,000 prize in the lottery was inspired by his own age.
One North Carolina lottery player used his age as inspiration to win a $200,000 top prize on a scratch-off ticket.
On Sunday, Jamar Tillman of High Point was at Green Street Grocery on East Green Drive in High Point when he thought to purchase a lottery ticket.
"I'm 44 years old, and when I saw the scratch-off on No. 44," Tillman told the North Carolina Lottery, referring to the game number on a lottery ticket dispenser, "I decided to buy that one."
The ticket in question was from the $5 "Triple Red 777's" game, which launched in July. He waited until he was at his cousin's house to scratch it, where he settled into a recliner. That's when he uncovered a prize that shocked him out of his relaxation.
"I about passed out," Tillman laughed. "It felt great though."
Tillman had won the game's $200,000 top prize, and after a visit to Lottery headquarters in Raleigh on Tuesday, he took home $143,001 after federal and state taxes.
"This came right on time for me," he remarked.
Tillman told Lottery officials that he is considering using the winnings to buy a house.
Following his claim, just one out of five top prizes of $200,000 remain in the $5 "Triple Red 777's" scratch-off game. There are also four out of ten second-tier prizes of $10,000 and ten out of 52 third-tier prizes of $1,000 left to claim.
The overall odds of winning any prize in the game are 1 in 4.28.
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Luckily, he was 44 and not 34.
Sometimes, little things make a big difference.
Congrats!
One feel good story after another lately.
Glad he went with his gut feeling, when it's meant to be it is!
So he stood at the counter looking at around 70 scratch tickets on the wall and spotted the tiny #44 on a ticket on a roll that was next to be sold. Great eyesight the guy has i will give him that much. I have a feeling this was after the fact. The number #44 was just a coincidence that he noticed on it after he scratched it.
well I added up scratch tickets to my age nothing 0 zip didnt win s**t
It was the number 44 on the dispenser, not the ticket itself. I can understand how it was missed.
" I'm 44 years old, and when I saw the scratch-off on No. 44," Tillman told the North Carolina Lottery, referring to the game number on a lottery ticket dispenser, "I decided to buy that one."
Yes, Kathy thanks for pointing out my missing that. So now I guess everyone will be trying that now.
I too thought he saw #44 in a roll that they had and thought they're not going to break up a roll just for 44 to come up!!
I haven't bought a scratch ticket in years. Where is the number on the ticket front or back. It would be hard to see from the other side of the counter since the cards are colored on the front side and the ticket number would be small. But if it is on the back then he couldn't see it. No one could. Kate is good but she leaves a ton of details out of these lottery stories but she did write it was the #44 game on the wall not the ticket so she is off the hook here on this one.
Here they are the bottom right; don't know about other states.
You did not understand the article. The #44 was NOT on the scratch off ticket but on the lottery dispenser, that holds those particular scratch offs. The numbers on the lottery dispensers are large so customers can ask for the number they want. Sounds like billybucks and 6 others have never purchased a scratch-off from behind a counter before.
I have but never really thought about asking for a number. I see why they do it and it makes perfect sense to use a system like that. I just asked for Cash Word a scratch ticket game that if you play it right you can squeeze 5 minutes of play out of it. I did admit I didn't read the article close enough.
Not sure if I'm one of the six you mentioned and IDC. All the stores here in KY have numbered bins so the clerk knows which one to grab. And no, I don't play scratch tickets that way or through the machine for that matter.