A Mega Millions player used her go-to lottery strategy — and it led to a big win in North Carolina.

“I don’t even know how to feel,” Brenda Stokes told the N.C. Education Lottery. “I’m so excited.”

Stokes had a lot to celebrate after matching all but one number picked in the April 12 drawing. Since she spent an extra dollar on the Megaplier option, her $1 million prize doubled to $2 million, lottery officials wrote online and in a news release.

Stokes bought her $3 Mega Millions ticket at Philomena Inc. in Burlington, a roughly 20-mile drive east from Greensboro. While at the store, she relied on her strategy of using family birthdays to pick her lottery numbers.

“I’m still in shock,” Stokes said after discovering she was getting richer.

Her lucky ticket — which matched five of the six numbers picked in the drawing — won the biggest prize in the country that night. But it was just one number from scoring the even larger jackpot prize of roughly $125 million, according to The Charlotte Observer and the Mega Millions website.

Stokes, who is from Alamance County, kept $1.43 million after taxes. She said she plans to to invest her prize money and may go on vacation.

“It’s a blessing,” the lucky winner told lottery officials.

What to know about Mega Millions

To score a jackpot in the Mega Millions, a player must match all five white balls and the gold Mega Ball.

The odds of scoring a jackpot prize are 1 in 302,575,350.

Tickets cost $2 and can be bought on the day of the drawing, but sales times vary by state.

Drawings are held Tuesdays and Fridays at 11 p.m. ET and can be streamed online.

Mega Millions is played in 45 states, Washington, D.C., and the U.S. Virgin Islands.

Many people can gamble or play games of chance without harm. However, for some, gambling is an addiction that can ruin lives and families.

If you or a loved one shows signs of gambling addiction, you can seek help by calling the national gambling hotline at 1-800-522-4700 or visiting the National Council on Problem Gambling website.

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