Raleigh resident Joshua Allen recently missed a jackpot win by one number but he didn’t miss on Tuesday night when he matched all five numbers to win a $662,878 Cash 5 jackpot.

“About a week ago I actually matched four of the five balls playing Cash 5,” he recalled.

Allen said he already knows what he wants to do with his winnings.

“I can use this money to put a down payment on a house,” he said.

Allen said the main reason he bought the $1 Cash 5 ticket was because his grandfather used to love playing Cash 5.

“It was always his favorite game over the years so I decided to play it because he did,” Allen said.

He bought his lucky Quick Pick ticket using Online Play. The odds of matching numbers on all five balls playing Cash 5 are 1 in 962,598.

“It was surreal,” Allen recalled.

He claimed his prize at lottery headquarters Thursday in Raleigh. After required federal and state tax withholdings, he took home $472,303.

Allen said in addition to looking for a house, he plans to pay off some student loans.

Cash 5 is one of six lottery games in North Carolina where players have the option of buying their tickets at a retail location or with Online Play through the lottery’s website or the NC Lottery Official Mobile App. Tonight’s Cash 5 jackpot stands at $110,000.

During the holiday season, Play Smart, Gift Smart raises awareness that lottery tickets are not appropriate gifts for kids as part of a national gift responsibly campaign. Research shows that the earlier someone participates in or is exposed to gambling, the more likely they are to develop a gambling problem later in life. Check out our blog to learn more.