Man wins jackpot after playing same lottery numbers for 7 years

Ben Hooper
·1 min read
UPI
Paul Caudill said he has played the same combination of numbers in the North Carolina Education Lottery's Lucky for Life drawing since the game began. His digits finally paid off with a jackpot worth $25,000 a year for life. Photo courtesy of the North Carolina Education Lottery

Aug. 15 (UPI) -- A North Carolina Education Lottery player who has used the same set of Lucky for Life numbers for 7 years found his patience paid off with a prize worth $25,000 a year for life.

Paul Caudill of Winston-Salem told North Carolina Education Lottery officials he has used the same combination of numbers to play Lucky for Life for about 7 years.

"I've been playing the same numbers every day since the game started," he said. "The numbers are all different birthdays for people in my family."

Caudill bought a ticket for Friday's drawing from Charlie's Tobacco Outlet on Eastchester Drive in High Point and later found he had matched all five white balls.

"I figured there must be an error," he recalled. "I couldn't sleep the rest of the night."

Caudill said he already knows where some of his winnings will go.

"I can pay my house off now," he said.