A woman in North Carolina was briefly disappointed when she discovered her favorite scratch-off lottery game was sold out at her local store, causing her to choose a new game at random. This decision ultimately worked in her favor when she won a top prize of $200,000.
Joanne Pacheco recently moved to North Carolina from New Hampshire to be closer to her son after she faced some health problems, according to the News & Observer. Last weekend, she made a stop at the Lakeland St. Mini Mart in Durham to try her hand at the lottery. When she saw that her favorite tickets were sold out, she chose to play the new "7" scratch-off game.
"They didn't have my tickets," she told lottery officials. "So, I said, 'Just give me four of those.'"
It wasn't until she got home that she realized her last-minute decision earned her a huge sum.
"I was sitting on my bed, thinking I can't believe this is real," she said.
Pacheco claimed her prize at lottery headquarters in Raleigh on Wednesday (June 23), bringing home a grand total of $141,501 after state and federal taxes.
While she didn't disclose how she wants to spend her newfound winnings, Pacheco does have some plans for the future.
"I'm going to live happily for the rest of my life," she said. "That's all that matters to me."
According to the newspaper, the "7" tickets launched in May with six top prizes of $200,000. With Pacheco's win, four of the top prizes have been claimed and two remain in play.