A routine stop at a Cary grocery store turned life-changing for one local man, who is now the state's newest Fast Play millionaire. His $20 Jackpot 7's ticket hit the progressive top prize in February, leaving him with a little more than $1.1 million after taxes. The winning ticket came from the Publix on Kildaire Farm Road, and local reporting later identified the winner as Montfort Faulkner.
According to WRAL, Faulkner bought his $20 Jackpot 7's ticket at the Millpond Village Publix on Kildaire Farm Road and locked in the $200,000 bonus that comes with that price point. WRAL reports that after state and federal withholdings, he walked away with "a little over $1.1 million." Not a bad day at the supermarket checkout.
How the Fast Play prize added up
A news release from the North Carolina Education Lottery shows the progressive jackpot had climbed to $1,378,846 when the winning ticket was played. Because the player bought a $20 Jackpot 7's ticket, he landed 100% of that jackpot plus a $200,000 cash bonus, for a total haul of $1,578,846, the largest Fast Play jackpot in state history, according to the North Carolina Education Lottery.
The North Carolina Education Lottery notes that winners have 180 days to claim their prizes, and an April 2 post on its site showed the Feb. 3 top prize sitting on the unclaimed-prizes list before it was finally claimed, per the North Carolina Education Lottery.
Where the ticket was bought
The lucky ticket was sold at the Millpond Village Publix, store #1520, located at 3480 Kildaire Farm Road in Cary, according to Publix. That location is the same retailer the lottery named as the sale point for the Feb. 3 play.
What winners should know about taxes
As with all lottery hits, this windfall comes with a catch: taxes. Lottery prizes count as taxable income, and winners should expect federal, and often state, withholdings on big payouts. The IRS notes that gambling winnings must be reported, and sizable prizes may be documented on Form W-2G. For general guidance on what counts as taxable income, the agency points taxpayers to IRS Publication 525.
