Grandma wins her second six-figure NC lottery prize. ‘Could just not comprehend it’
A North Carolina grandmother was in shock when she saw the huge winnings on her scratch-off lottery ticket — except it wasn’t her first time.
Christy Merritt, a farmer from Efland, was thrilled to see her $30 Black Titanium lottery ticket turn into a much larger prize: $100,000, according to an Oct. 17 N.C. Education Lottery news release. She discovered she won Oct. 13.
“My brain could just not comprehend it,” Merritt said in the release. “It was very exciting though.”
She bought her ticket from Efland Supermarket on U.S. 70 West, which was the same store where she purchased her last lucky ticket, lottery officials said.
In 2018, Merritt brought home an even bigger prize with a scratch-off ticket from Efland Supermarket. Merritt split the $250,000 winnings with her roommate, and the prize was not something she was expecting at the time, lottery officials said.
“I did not believe what I was seeing,” she said in the release. “It was certainly a shock.”
After collecting her recent winnings, which came out to $71,259 after taxes, Merritt said she has big plans for how to spend it. One of the first priorities will be to treat her grandchildren to some fun with the money, lottery officials said.
“I have four already with another on the way so maybe I will take them on a nice trip,” Merritt said. “Maybe to the beach.”
In addition to traveling with her grandkids, she also plans to pay bills and add to her retirement fund, lottery officials said.
Efland is about 40 miles northwest of Raleigh.
Many people can gamble or play games of chance without harm. However, for some, gambling is an addiction that can ruin lives and families.
If you or a loved one shows signs of gambling addiction, you can seek help by calling the national gambling hotline at 1-800-522-4700 or visiting the National Council on Problem Gambling website.
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