Britta Johnson of Davidson said she’s still in shock after she won $10,000 playing Mega Millions. Her ticket was one of 13 sold in North Carolina to win a big prize in Tuesday’s drawing.
“I think I’ve only played the lottery two or three times in my life,” said Johnson, who works as a receptionist. “I was on my way home from work and something just told me to stop and get a Mega Millions ticket so I did.”
She stopped at the Huntersville BP on South Statesville Road in Huntersville and bought a $2 Quick Pick ticket. Johnson watched the drawing while getting ready for bed, and realized she had a winning ticket.
“I couldn’t believe it,” Johnson said. “I woke my husband up to tell him, but he thought I had a fake ticket and was playing a joke on him. He didn’t believe it until he checked the website himself.”
Johnson and her husband claimed the prize Wednesday at the lottery claim center in Greensboro. They plan to use some of the money to pay bills.
The ticket matched the numbers on four of the white balls and the Mega Ball to win $10,000. The ticket beat odds of one in 931,001.
Johnson’s ticket was one of nine in North Carolina to win $10,000 in the drawing. Two Multiplier tickets won $30,000, and two lucky tickets won $1 million.
Ticket sales from draw games like Mega Millions make it possible for the lottery to raise more than $650 million a year for the state. For details on how lottery funds have made a difference in all of North Carolina’s 100 counties, click on the “Impact” section of the lottery’s website.