Six months after the COVID-19 shutdown shuttered his hair salon, Jeffrey Yi of Fayetteville said winning Thursday’s $1,247,944 Cash 5 jackpot will help him reopen it.
“My business was shut down because of coronavirus and I lost a lot of money,” said Yi. “I couldn’t pay the rent, or the employees. This is a chance to reopen again. Thanks to the lucky Cash 5, I can try and make my business open again. I’m so happy.”
Using his own numbers, Yi purchased his ticket at Speedway on Yadkin Road in Fayetteville. His ticket beat odds of 1 in 962,598 to match all five numbers in the drawing.
“My friend said that Cash 5 prize is very high right now so you gotta buy some tickets,” recalled Yi. “So, I bought them.”
He claimed his prize Friday at lottery headquarters in Raleigh. After required federal and state tax withholdings, he took home $882,923.
“I was surprised,” said Yi. “So happy.”
Cash 5 is a statewide draw game that gives players the chance to win a jackpot every single night. Tickets cost $1 and players can buy tickets at most lottery retailers, through Online Play on the lottery’s website, or on the NC Lottery Official Mobile app.
Tuesday’s jackpot is $239,000.
Ticket sales from draw games like Cash 5 make it possible for the lottery to raise more than $725 million a year for education. For details on how $21.8 million made a difference in Cumberland County in 2019, click on the “Impact” section of the lottery’s website.