North Carolina Man 'Was Screaming On The Inside' After Big Lottery Win

By Sarah Tate

July 25, 2024

Photo: Flashpop/DigitalVision | Mykola Sosiukin/iStock | Getty Images

A North Carolina man was internally "screaming" after years of being patient finally led to him scoring a massive lottery prize.

According to a release from the NC Education Lottery, Osama Lafi, of Charlotte, has a routine of playing digital instant lottery games every night, so it was only a matter of time that he landed a big win. That day came on June 28 when he purchased a $2 ticket in the Bison Bonanza game and ended up beating the 1 in 15.5 million odds to win the top level "Epic Jackpot" and get the $668,911 prize.

"I always like to play them before I go to sleep," he said. "When I won, I was half asleep and half awake. I could barely sleep after that though."

After winning such a big jackpot, Lafi told lottery officials that his "heart was beating so fast" and "I was screaming on the inside."

Lafi claimed his prize at lottery headquarters on Wednesday (July 24), taking home $478,272 after all required state and federal tax withholdings. According to lottery officials, he already has big plans on how to use his new winnings, including buying a car, saving some away and helping friends and family.

"I knew it was going to come," he said. "I just had to have patience, keep trying, and then finally it happened."

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