Lottery player wins ‘birthday present’ — but reaction worries husband. ‘What’s wrong?’
A lottery player bought a lucky ticket before her 60th birthday — and got a new reason to celebrate.
But her reaction to winning the huge jackpot prize left her husband worried, according to the North Carolina Education Lottery.
“I think he thought I saw something crawling on the ground or something,” winner Irma Richardson of Winston-Salem told lottery officials in an April 2 news release. “He was like, ‘What’s wrong with you?’”
Richardson had the “strong reaction” after she went online to play the Lucky for Life game. She spent $2 on a Quick Pick ticket, meaning the lottery randomly chose the numbers for her, according to game rules.
It turns out, her ticket matched five numbers picked in the March 28 drawing, making it worth $25,000 a year for life.
“This is a very nice early birthday present,” said Richardson, who hit the jackpot a few weeks before turning 60 years old.
Instead of receiving the annual payments, Richardson took her prize as a lump sum of $390,000. She kept $278,851 after taxes.
“I’m only a few years from retirement so this is very nice to have,” Richardson said in the release. “I’m just glad to be here.”
Like Richardson, most North Carolina lottery players take their winnings in lump sums instead of opting for annual payments, lottery officials told McClatchy News in January.
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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