Durham Reporter

Winning at the lottery often leaves recipients in a momentary state of disbelief, as witnessed by two recent winners.

Anthony Gale isn’t a regular lottery player, but his decision to buy a $1 ticket on a whim earlier this month paid off in a big way.

"I kept checking it to make sure I was reading it right and not imagining it,” he said of his ticket that was worth $160,543, as WTVD reported.

“It feels good!” the Durham resident said after learning that the ticket he bought on a quick snack run was a lucky one. “The win came at a very good time."

Gale took home $114,002 after federal and state withholdings were taken out. He said he plans to pay some of his medical bills with the windfall.

Taking a chance paid off even bigger for a resident of Harnett County, the report said. Kevon Greenidge chose to buy a $30 scratch-off ticket for his birthday and won $3 million.

"I thought I was being pranked or something,” Greenidge said. “I really thought it was a trick."

Greenidge, who collected his prize last Wednesday, chose to accept a lump sum of $1.8 million, instead of taking a 20-year annuity payout. After state and federal withholdings were subtracted, he went home with $1,278,189, the N.C. Education Lottery website said.

He said he will use his winnings to buy a house and a car, then he’ll give some to charitable groups.

The state lottery website described how it uses proceeds from ticket sales. "While we fulfill our mission every day, our vision is where we one day hope to be,” the website said. “Our vision is to be an industry leader in funding education initiatives, by enriching lives through entertainment and innovation, while practicing sound governance."