Lottery player's strategy involves some sweet-talking
By Kate Northrop
HENDERSONVILLE, N.C. — A Florida woman won a $865,811 digital lottery jackpot in North Carolina after her personal strategy worked: give her phone some verbal words of encouragement.
A Florida resident spoke her $865,811 lottery win into existence by giving her phone positive words of affirmation during her online play.
Shirley Harvey of Naples, Florida, will talk to her phone while playing digital lottery games, something akin to a light conversation.
"You've got to talk to it and tell it you're going to win," she laughed with North Carolina Lottery officials. "And when you win, you say, 'Thank you.'"
Harvey was visiting Hendersonville, North Carolina to visit her family, where she'll typically spend half the year. Of course, that means she'll play the North Carolina Lottery during her time in the state.
"I like to play on my phone at home," she told the Lottery. "That day it was raining, so I was sitting on my couch playing."
She put $2 towards a play in the "Quick 6 Extra" game, a digital instant game offering a progressive jackpot that grows with every purchase.
And yet, she couldn't fathom beating the odds of 1 in 25.8 million to win the game's $865,811 jackpot.
"I never imagined winning anything like this," Harvey recalled. "It was unbelievable."
The lucky winner claimed her prize at Lottery headquarters in Raleigh on Wednesday and took home a grand total of $621,260 after state and federal taxes. She plans on using the winnings to buy some property in North Carolina.
The "Quick 6 Extra" jackpot reset to $250,000 when Harvey won the prize. It sits at over $276,000 as of Thursday morning. Players can purchase plays for $0.20 in sets of three to ten, with the default ticket cost at $2 for ten plays.
Digital instant games are available on the North Carolina Lottery's website and mobile app, with 51 different games available to play online.
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hey there hot stuff, you're looking extra rectangular today. is that a new screen protector?
Hey there 867-5309 let's get us some green and make everyone else green with envy.
By the way your duel floppy ear phones are lookin real perky...errr pretty today
I talk very kindly to the store clerk
"Hello my friend, how's your day coming along, ooh it such a beautiful day, do your magic and get me a winner"
Lol 🤣 🤣 🤣
This story is kind of sad. Glad for her win but she needs to stop talking to her phone. Lots of good upscale shopping in Naples.
I'm happy for you Shirley, congrats and enjoy.
Whatever works and for Shirley it's talking to her phone.
Kudos and enjoy your win.
Look, I live in N.C. and I know how the NCEL news feeds works. They will come up with some the most feel good, ridiculous scenarios. I have complained to them many times about their outlandish winning articles. example,,, man stops for milk and wins $1,000,000. Woman stops to pick up stuffing for Thanksgiving dinner, that she forgot, wins $1,000,000. Mind you, these are always scratch offs. Truck driver stops to fill up his rig, from out of state, and scratches for a $100,000 winning scratch off. I have already got it figured out what I will say to them at the Lottery office if I ever hit a big one. " Oh, I stopped to take a dump and felt like I would be lucky buying a scratch off since I made to the toilet in time." Two can play that game.
Something tells me the emotion she feels is not sadness.
Nothing wrong with talking to the phone. Lots of people talk to the TV while watching the "game".
Which is better than talking to yourself.
I am sure she is not sad. But with all that money, her age and possible relatives who may feel entitled to it, best not to advertise "eccentricities." Caution is best.
That's some funny POOP.I don't care who you are.
I agree, it sound like the naysayers here are just salty because it was not them who won.
I analyze things from a legal and protective perspective. More than a few people want to take advantage of the elderly.