And that was before he hit a jackpot on Friday, officials said.
“I can’t wait to tell him I won,” Charlotte resident Benjamin Simmons said when he claimed his prize at lottery headquarters in Raleigh.
Simmons showed up at lottery headquarters just hours after hitting the $992,574 Fast Play jackpot on a $20 Max Win ticket, according to a lottery news release.
He beat odds of 1 in 320,000, according to the Max Win game page on N.C. Lottery.com
“I’ve been playing that game for a while at the same store,” Simmons said.
He bought the ticket Friday afternoon at the Raceway Amoco on Lyles Lane in Concord, officials said.
The jackpot had reached $792,574 at the time, according to the lottery.
Because he bought a $20 ticket, Simmons received 100% of the jackpot, plus $200,000, officials said.
After taxes, he took home $709,696, according to the lottery.
He’ll use the money help a family member dealing with a medical issue, Simmons told lottery officials.
The Fast Play jackpot grows with every ticket sold, according to the Fast Play game page on NC Lottery.com.
Saturday morning, the game had a $29,100 jackpot.
