North Carolina grandmother with injured leg "took off running" after seeing $912,326 lottery win

Jun 20, 2025, 8:03 am (15 comments)

North Carolina Lottery

Adrenaline kicks in after big win

By Kate Northrop

An injured leg wasn't stopping one North Carolina grandmother from getting up on her feet and taking a victory lap when she found out she won a $912,326 online lottery jackpot.

A North Carolina woman overcame a bad leg to make a celebratory lap around the house after winning a $912,326 digital instant lottery jackpot.

Marcella Hooker of Warsaw had decided to put $5 toward one of the North Carolina Lottery's digital instant games, "The Lamp: Dark Arts," and won the game's progressive jackpot.

"I actually have had trouble walking lately because of an injury, but after I saw that I took off running and screaming," she laughed with Lottery officials.

It was hard to fathom that she had beaten the odds of 1 in 12.9 million to win the top level "Alakazam" prize in the online game, and her joyous celebration ensured her entire family knew it.

"I was screaming so much it woke up the kids and grandkids," Hooker recalled in a press release.

She claimed her prize at Lottery headquarters in Raleigh on June 9 and ended up taking home $654,596 after federal and state taxes.

"Now we can pay off the house," the winner told the Lottery. "This is a blessing."

Once her home is paid off, Hooker said she additionally wants to buy a new car and help her family.

The "The Lamp: Dark Arts" jackpot reset to $100,000 when Hooker won the prize. It sits at over $269,095 as of Friday morning. Players can wager anywhere from $.50 to $30 in the game.

Digital instant games are available on the North Carolina Lottery's website and mobile app, with 47 different games available to play online.

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Lottery Post Staff

Comments

Bleudog101

Go Granny go!    Fantastic win and love your lofty goals.   WTG!

 

Since I have everyone's attention wanted to update on two things I mentioned previously.   Sorry for deviating from the subject matter.

 

1)  Watched the Mgr load the lottery machine yesterday.  She scanned each packet of scratch tickets whereas I thought the machine did that with purchases.

2)  My ramblings about KY lotto update to mobile app was wrong.   They, not IGT, investigated it thoroughly.   It has to do with Android security completely logging you out even though I did it each time.   They believe it does it automatically after 72 hours!  Just physically wrote a letter to IGT RI and enclosed a copy of KY lotto findings and apologized to them.

Lotterologist's avatarLotterologist

Guess she had a "Tyrese Haliburton moment".

Congrats!

lakerben's avatarlakerben

It's my leg!!!

dickblow

congrats 🥳💰

Lotterologist's avatarLotterologist

Quote: Originally posted by Lotterologist on Jun 20, 2025

Guess she had a "Tyrese Haliburton moment".

Congrats!

Anyone whose been watching the NBA Championship Finals, knows what i'm talking about.

Tenaj's avatarTenaj

Nice Article. Congrats g-mom.  Maybe I should start playing those online instant games. That win would surely make anyone get up and walk.

billybucks

Quote: Originally posted by Lotterologist on Jun 20, 2025

Anyone whose been watching the NBA Championship Finals, knows what i'm talking about.

 More like that Paul Pierce moment when they carted him off in a wheelchair and he came back ten minutes later with a new pair of legs apparently.

Lotterologist's avatarLotterologist

Quote: Originally posted by billybucks on Jun 20, 2025

 More like that Paul Pierce moment when they carted him off in a wheelchair and he came back ten minutes later with a new pair of legs apparently.

I don't recall that, but I remember Isaiah Thomas playing with a badly sprained ankle in the NBA Finals in 1988.

Bleudog101

Quote: Originally posted by Lotterologist on Jun 20, 2025

Anyone whose been watching the NBA Championship Finals, knows what i'm talking about.

I was worried he wouldn't be able to play last night, but play he did.    Now just to get 'em one more game in Oklahoma!!

Lotterologist's avatarLotterologist

Quote: Originally posted by Bleudog101 on Jun 20, 2025

I was worried he wouldn't be able to play last night, but play he did.    Now just to get 'em one more game in Oklahoma!!

I agree! 👍

play4shekels's avatarplay4shekels

Hope she saved some energy for running from all the folks that will be begging for money soon.

LottoBux's avatarLottoBux

Quote: Originally posted by Lotterologist on Jun 20, 2025

I agree! 👍

This year was Shea's year.

Regular Season and Playoff MVP and well deserved.

 

Next time is for Tyrese.

billybucks

Quote: Originally posted by LottoBux on Jun 23, 2025

This year was Shea's year.

Regular Season and Playoff MVP and well deserved.

 

Next time is for Tyrese.

  No it won't. Indiana players will want more money and they can't pay them all so they will leave.

Lotterologist's avatarLotterologist

Quote: Originally posted by LottoBux on Jun 23, 2025

This year was Shea's year.

Regular Season and Playoff MVP and well deserved.

 

Next time is for Tyrese.

I guess you're right. As great as OKC is, they wouldn't have won if Tyrese wasn't injured. Since he was no longer in action, it was SGA's time.

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