Lottery player startles husband awake after her huge NC lottery win. ‘What’s wrong?’
Colette Owens had an extra early morning on a recent Saturday.
When she woke up at 2:30 a.m., the Clayton, North Carolina, resident checked her emails on her phone. That’s when she saw something that caught her eye, according to a May 9 North Carolina Education Lottery news release.
“I just looked at it and looked at it,” Owens told officials.
She had won a $147,894 Cash 5 jackpot.
“I was shocked,” Owens said.
After seeing her prize, Owens immediately ran into her bedroom to wake her husband, she told officials.
“He’s like, ‘What’s wrong, what’s wrong,’” Owens said. “He had to get his glasses so he could see the screen.”
Owens took home $105,375 after taxes, according to officials. Now, the couple plans to use their prize to buy tickets to a Notre Dame football game.
“It’s one of those things on the bucket list we’ve always wanted to do,” Owens told officials.
The couple told lottery officials she will also use the win to pay bills and pay off a golf cart they had purchased.
Clayton is about 20 miles southeast 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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