Lottery winner taken by second surprise

By Kate Northrop

GREENSBORO, N.C. — It was a lucky day for one North Carolina veteran, who won a $100,000 Keno lottery prize while already waiting to claim a separate $50,000 prize.

A North Carolina man's next big win couldn't even wait until he had the check from his first lottery prize in-hand.

On Monday, Dennis Parks of Carthage visited the North Carolina Lottery's Greensboro Regional Office & Claim Center. He was there to claim a $50,000 prize from a winning $20 "Merry Multiplier" scratch-off ticket.

While the military veteran waited at the office, his daughter purchased a Keno ticket for him as a gift.

"She bought the ticket for me for my birthday," Parks told the Lottery. "It was my 81st birthday on Monday."

Parks had no idea he would be leaving with more than a check for his winnings from the scratch-off ticket. The Keno ticket his daughter bought him matched all 10 numbers in the 10 Spot game to win him a $100,000 top prize.

"It was just my day I guess," he joked with Lottery officials.

He showed up at Lottery headquarters in Raleigh the following day to claim his second prize in a row, and after federal and state taxes, he took home $71,751.

With his winnings, he plans on paying some bills and taking a family trip to Ohio.

"This is going to make things a whole lot easier for us now," Parks said.

Parks claimed the second second-tier prize of $50,000 out of the three originally available in the $20 "Merry Multiplier" game, leaving one left. There is also one more top prize of $250,000 out of three available. All third-tier prizes of $10,000 have been claimed.

The overall odds of winning any prize in the holiday-themed game, which launched in November 2024, are 1 in 3.06. The game is scheduled to end on May 30, 2025, and the final day to claim prizes is Aug. 28, 2025.