A Charlotte woman turned a quick $5 digital play on her phone into a whopping $167,336 jackpot last Friday, then walked away with roughly $120,500 after required federal and state withholdings. She spotted the win on her screen, bolted downstairs to tell her husband, and confirmed that the payout came from the Multiplier Mania digital instant game.
According to Queen City News, Beverly Johnson bought a $5 Multiplier Mania play on May 8 and hit the game’s top-level Gold jackpot, worth $167,336. The outlet reports that the Gold jackpot reset to $80,000 immediately after her win and had already climbed past $84,000 by Friday afternoon. Queen City News also notes the odds of hitting that prize on a $5 wager were about 1 in 8 million.
Johnson’s “dreamlike” moment
Johnson described the win as “dreamlike” and said she sprinted downstairs to share the news with her husband, according to Queen City News. She told the outlet she plans to invest part of the windfall and buy a generator, and that her after-tax payout came to about $120,500.
Inside Multiplier Mania
As detailed by the N.C. Education Lottery, Multiplier Mania is a digital instant game with a progressive Gold jackpot and wagers that range from 50 cents to $30. The lottery explains that the Gold jackpot resets to $80,000 each time it is won and then grows again until the next winner hits. The game also features multiplier mechanics that can boost smaller prize amounts.
Like most jackpots, the headline number is before taxes, so required federal and state withholdings cut the final check to a smaller figure. Winners who hit big often turn to financial or tax professionals as they sort out what to do next with their sudden cash infusion.
For comparison, the N.C. Education Lottery recently announced that a different Charlotte player landed a $324,612 digital instant jackpot in April and took home about $233,754 after taxes. That separate win highlights how digital instant games have already produced multiple six-figure payouts this year.
Johnson’s prize is the latest reminder that a modest wager can, on rare occasions, turn into a life-changing payday, even if the taxman takes a share on the way out. She says the whole thing still feels unreal as she decides how to put the money to work.
