SOUTHPORT, N.C. – A handyman in North Carolina proved persistence is key when it comes to the lottery.
William Goins won more than $300,000 with the same set of lottery number he’s been using for the past 13 years.
“They’re my lucky numbers,” Goins said. “They just came to me one day while I was filling out the play slip, and I’ve been using them ever since.”
Goins’ good luck happened Friday when he stopped by the Tobacco Road Outlet in Southport and bought a Cash 5 ticket for the evening’s drawing, according to the NC Education Lottery .
Goins found out he won the next afternoon.
“I just kept looking back and forth between the numbers on my phone and the numbers on my ticket,” Goins said. “I didn’t believe it. I thought I was seeing things.”
Goins claimed his $323,783 prize Monday at the lottery headquarters in Raleigh. After required state and federal tax withholdings, he took home $229,078.
Goins says he plans to save most of the money, but will celebrate by getting a new motor for his fishing boat.
“I love fishing,” Goins said. “Who knows, after winning this, I might make fishing my new full-time hobby.”
Ticket sales from draw games like Cash 5 make it possible for the lottery to raise more than $700 million a year for education.
