A teenager won a $2 million lottery jackpot after claiming he had a gut feeling it was time to play.
Donnie Leviner, 18, went to a convenience shop in Laurinburg, North Carolina, to refill his lawn mower.
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“Something just told me to buy it,” he told the North Carolina Education Lottery, following his big victory.
The teenager had only purchased a few tickets in his life and gambled on a $20 Big Cash Payout game.
Mr. Leviner couldn’t believe it when his statistics came up. “I couldn’t believe it,” he remarked. “I honestly didn’t believe it was true.
“I initially just went there to fill up the lawn mower.”
The 18-year-old received his winnings on Monday, opting for a $1.2 million lump payment over the $100,000 per year alternative.
After taxes, he received $858,006, which he promised the lottery he would use carefully.
North Carolina’s Education Lottery aids local schools. Scotland County, where Mr. Leviner lives, has received $1.6 million in project funds since the Big Cash Payout debuted last July.
The odds of winning something in the scratch-off game are 1 in 3.21, but winning the top prize of $2 million increases to roughly 1 in 1.6 million.
The lottery’s website reports that four people have already won the jackpot, and there are still two prizes up for grabs. The majority of rewards given out vary from $5,000 to $20,000.
Across North Carolina, the lottery funds free preschool for nearly 13,000 children, provides scholarships to needy students, and covers school transportation.
In 2023, the lottery raised more than $1 billion for these projects in North Carolina.
