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A man in North Carolina is planning an anniversary trip for him and his wife after scoring a massive win in a newly-launched lottery game.
Thomas Shadley, of Fayetteville, has a routine of playing the lottery and it recently worked out well for him when he purchased a $20 100X The Cash Ticket from College Lakes Liberty on Ramsey Street, according to a release from the NC Education Lottery. The game debuted earlier this month with four top prizes of $2 million and six prizes of $100,000.
"I only play on Wednesdays and Saturdays," he said. "And I always wait until 11 p.m. to scratch my tickets. That's just what I do."
When he scratched off his latest ticket on Wednesday (January 22), he discovered he won one of the game's $100,000 prizes. Despite the late hour, he knew he had to share the exciting news with his wife.
"I saw one zero, then another zero and then another," he said. "Then I went to wake up my wife and tell her."
Shadley claimed his prize at lottery headquarters on Thursday, taking home a total of $71,756 after all required state and federal tax withholdings. According to lottery officials, he plans to use his winnings to take a special trip to New Orleans with his wife in order to celebrate their 36th wedding anniversary. In addition to the getaway, he will use his prize to pay some bills.
After Shadley's win, four $100,000 prizes as well as all four top prizes remain to be claimed.