Special set of numbers leads North Carolina mom to huge Powerball win. ‘Feels surreal’

A North Carolina mom played her go-to lottery numbers — and it paid off with a life-changing prize.

Brittany Hitchcock couldn’t contain her excitement as she raced to tell her daughters she won $150,000 in the Powerball game.

“They were all like, ‘No way,’” Hitchcock told the N.C. Education Lottery in a July 12 news release.

But the windfall was the real deal, and it came after Hitchcock stopped at the Gamewell Superette in Lenior, a roughly 70-mile drive northwest from Charlotte.

While there, relatives’ birthdays and anniversaries influenced her Powerball picks.

“I’ve been playing those same numbers for years,” the lucky winner said.

Hitchcock’s ticket matched all but one number picked in the July 10 drawing. Since she spent an extra dollar on the Power Play option, her $50,000 prize tripled to $150,000, a lottery spokesperson told McClatchy News via email.

“It was surreal,” Hitchcock said. “It actually still feels surreal.”

Now, the Caldwell County mom wants to spend her prize money on a family cruise to the Bahamas. She kept $107,251 after taxes.

Though Hitchcock won big, her ticket was one number from hitting the jackpot. That prize stood at an estimated $40 million the night of the drawing, according to the Powerball website.

What to know about Powerball

To score the jackpot in the Powerball, a player must match all five white balls and the red Powerball.

The odds of scoring the jackpot prize are 1 in 292,201,338.

Tickets can be bought on the day of the drawing, but sales times and price vary by state.

Drawings are broadcast Saturdays, Mondays and Wednesdays at 10:59 p.m. ET and can be streamed online.

Powerball is played in 45 states, Washington, D.C., Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands.

Many people can gamble or play games of chance without harm. However, for some, gambling is an addiction that can ruin lives and families.

If you or a loved one shows signs of gambling addiction, you can seek help by calling the national gambling hotline at 1-800-522-4700 or visiting the National Council on Problem Gambling website.

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