A restless night turned into an unforgettable stroke of luck for a North Carolina woman after she won a $150,000 (approximately Rs 1.4 crore) lottery jackpot while playing an online instant game on her smartphone.
Sue Rowley, a resident of Mooresville, North Carolina, told lottery officials that she was unable to fall asleep on the night of July 8. Looking for a way to pass the time, she picked up her phone and decided to try her luck on one of the state’s digital instant lottery games.
That spontaneous decision quickly changed her life.
Sleepless Night Leads To Massive Win
Rowley placed a $30 wager on the newly launched Tumbling Treasures online instant game. To her surprise, the game awarded her the top prize of $150,000.
According to the North Carolina Education Lottery, the odds of winning a prize of that size in the game are one in two million, making her victory an exceptionally rare one.
Recalling the moment she realized she had won, Rowley admitted she struggled to believe what she was seeing.
“It was late at night and I was just fiddling around playing when it happened,” Rowley said.
“I just didn’t believe it at the time because this is not a normal occurrence.”
Prize Reduced After Taxes
Rowley officially claimed her winnings at the North Carolina Lottery headquarters in Raleigh on July 13.
After mandatory federal and state tax deductions, she took home $108,023 (around Rs 93 lakh).
The unexpected windfall has left her and her family thrilled.
“We are pretty excited,” Rowley said.
Home Renovation Plans
Rather than making extravagant purchases, Rowley plans to use the prize money to renovate her home, turning an ordinary sleepless night into a life-changing financial opportunity.
Another Lucky Story: Buddhist Monk Wins Rs 2.28 Crore
Rowley’s remarkable win comes just weeks after another unusual lottery success story made headlines.
Last month, 73-year-old Buddhist monk Chan Chai Siang, a former factory worker living in a hermitage, became an overnight millionaire after winning RM 1 million (approximately Rs 2.28 crore) through a lucky draw organised by Bank Simpanan Nasional.
The monk said his fortune was not the result of divine intervention but rather an outcome of karma accumulated through actions in previous lives. He also clarified that he had never prayed or made special vows seeking financial rewards.