Man randomly picks numbers for North Carolina lottery — and the decision pays off
A North Carolina man used birthday numbers when he played the lottery before, but this time he decided to use five random numbers — and it paid off with a big win, lottery officials say.
Jerry Finn, from Mebane, a city about 24 miles northwest of Durham, won the $726,805 Cash 5 jackpot using five numbers that randomly came to him, according to a news release from the North Carolina Education Lottery.
“Sometimes I play numbers like a birthday, but the ticket that won was just random numbers,” Finn said, according to the release. “I’m about to explode!”
At about 5:30 a.m. the morning after buying the lottery ticket, Finn checked his ticket with his wife and realized he won, lottery officials said.
Finn, a truck driver, then “stumbled into the shower and went to work,” according to the release.
Lottery officials said Finn kept his winning ticket in a safe until he collected his prize at lottery headquarters on May 13.
Finn took home $516,105 after state and federal taxes, according to the release. He said he plans to use the prize money to “pay bills, buy a new camper and donate to St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital.”
Lottery officials said Finn beat 1 in 962,598 odds with his win.
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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