Beginner’s luck lands Cabarrus County woman a $1,939,727 jackpot
RaspaPro Summary
Donna Gray of Mount Pleasant won a $1,939,727 jackpot playing a Digital Instant game for the first time. She played for $1 in the PowerMax Cash game on August 1st and took home $1,396,798 after taxes.
Key points
- •Donna Gray won $1,939,727 playing PowerMax Cash, a Digital Instant game.
- •She played for $1 on Aug. 1, with odds of 1 in 150 million.
- •After taxes, Gray took home $1,396,798 from her winnings.
- •PowerMax Cash allows players to wager from 50 cents to $50.
Why it matters
This highlights that significant jackpots are possible with Digital Instant games, even for new players trying them for the first time. It shows the potential for a small $1 play to result in a life-changing win.
Official release
Donna Gray of Mount Pleasant played a Digital Instant game for the first time and won a $1,939,727 jackpot.
“I’ve bought scratch-offs over the years but this was the first time trying this,” she said.
Gray played for $1 on Aug. 1 and won the jackpot in the PowerMax Cash game. The odds of that win were 1 in 150 million.
“It started rolling and just kept rolling,” she recalled. “I thought it would be like $100 or something.”
Gray told her husband as soon as she could.
“I said, ‘I won big,’ but he didn’t believe me,” Gray laughed. “It took us both a couple days to believe it.”
She claimed her prize Tuesday at lottery headquarters and, after required federal and state tax withholdings, took home $1,396,798.
Gray plans to invest her winnings.
In the PowerMax Cash Digital Instant game, a player can play from 50 cents to $50. The current jackpot as of Thursday morning stands at over $337,000.
Digital instant games are played exclusively online on the lottery’s website or on the NC Lottery Official Mobile App. Eighty-nine different games are available to play online now.
Education programs in Cabarrus County received $16 million in support from lottery funds last year. For details on how lottery funds have made a difference in all of North Carolina’s 100 counties, visit www.nclottery.com and click on the “Impact” section of the lottery’s website.
Based on official state lottery press releases. RaspaPro is not affiliated with any lottery. Entertainment only · 18+ · Play responsibly.