Annette Tennal said her husband initially "didn’t know what was going on" when she began celebrating her win
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NEED TO KNOW
- A North Carolina grandma of four won a six-figure jackpot while playing a digital instant game in the car on Feb. 21
- “I hit it and then I got to hollering,” Tennal told lottery officials
- When it came time to tell her family, the lucky winner said there was one emoji that perfectly summed up the situation
A grandma of four from North Carolina got the shock of a lifetime when she won a six-figure prize through an online lottery game.
Annette Tennal, of Shelby, was playing digital instant games while riding in a car on Saturday, Feb. 21, when she hit the jackpot, according to a news release from the North Carolina Lottery.
Tennal spent $10 to win the top level “Epic jackpot” in the Bison Bonanza game, landing her a whopping $676,572 lottery prize.
The woman was in the passenger seat while her husband drove at the time of her victory.
“I hit it and then I got to hollering,” she laughed. “He didn’t know what was going on.”
At first, Tennal questioned her reality, according to lottery officials. “Is this real?” the grandma asked herself at the time.
She then sent a text message to members of her family informing them of her big win. “They sent me back the dancing emojis,” she added.
Tennal claimed her prize at lottery headquarters on Thursday, Feb. 26, according to lottery officials. After taxes, she took home $487,202.
Now, the grandma plans to use her winnings to pay off some bills and purchase a new car.
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The odds of winning that specific jackpot were 1 in 3.1 million, according to lottery officials.
There are 66 different digital instant games available to play online through the North Carolina Lottery’s website or on its official mobile app.
If you or someone you know is struggling with a gambling problem, please contact the National Problem Gambling Helpline Network at 1-800-522-4700 or go to gamtalk.org.
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