A Cary resident turned a quick stop into a serious windfall after scratching off a $100,000 top prize on a $30 ticket, ultimately pocketing $72,018 after state and federal withholdings. The lucky slip came from the $100,000 Cash Payday instant game that debuted this spring, and the winner later headed to the lottery’s Raleigh offices to make it all official.
According to CBS17, the winner is Ayman Abu-Hammad of Cary. The outlet reports he bought the $30 ticket at an Exxon on New Bern Avenue in Raleigh, claimed the prize on April 29 and received $72,018 after the required state and federal tax withholdings.
The payout came from the $100,000 Cash Payday game, a $30 instant ticket that launched in March. The North Carolina Education Lottery lists the game’s top prize, ticket cost and odds on its official page. As noted by the North Carolina Education Lottery, the game originally offered 80 top prizes of $100,000 and has overall odds of roughly 1 in 3.49.
Hoodline previously reported that a Fayetteville shopper hit the same game earlier this month, along with several other recent top-prize wins across North Carolina. That streak of lucky tickets has started to chip away at the pool of remaining $100,000 prizes statewide.
Per CBS17, Abu-Hammad is the tenth player so far to claim a $100,000 top prize from the game. His net haul lines up with the roughly $72,018 that other winners have taken home after the standard tax withholdings on similar wins.
How To Claim Big Prizes
Prizes of $100,000 or more must be claimed at North Carolina Education Lottery headquarters in Raleigh, where winners complete the required paperwork and identification checks. For step-by-step instructions, downloadable forms and contact information, visit the claim page at the North Carolina Education Lottery.
