A teenager from Laurinburg, North Carolina, recently scored big in the lottery, winning a staggering $2 million jackpot. Donnie Leviner, 18, who had seldom purchased lottery tickets before, decided on a whim to try his luck while at a convenience store filling up his lawn mower.
Leviner recounted that he felt a strong intuition to purchase a ticket, despite his limited experience with lottery games. Opting for a $20 Big Cash Payout ticket, he couldn’t have anticipated the outcome. When his numbers matched the jackpot, Leviner was initially in disbelief, as he had only stopped by the store with the intention of fueling his lawn mower.
Choosing to claim his winnings as a lump sum of $1.2 million, Leviner walked away with $858,006 after taxes. Expressing his intention to use the money wisely, he acknowledged the importance of responsible financial management.
It’s worth noting that the North Carolina Education Lottery, which operates the game Leviner played, contributes significant funds to local schools. Since the introduction of the Big Cash Payout game last July, Scotland County, where Leviner resides, has received $1.6 million for various projects.
While the odds of winning any prize in the scratch-off game are relatively favorable at 1 in 3.21, the chances of hitting the $2 million jackpot are much slimmer, at nearly 1 in 1.6 million. Leviner joins a small group of lucky individuals who have clinched the top prize, with only four winners thus far and two more jackpots up for grabs. Typically, prizes range from $5,000 to $20,000.
Beyond individual windfalls, the North Carolina Education Lottery plays a vital role in supporting education initiatives statewide. With proceeds exceeding $1 billion in 2023 alone, the lottery funds programs such as free Pre-K for over 13,000 children, scholarships for students in need, and school transportation expenses.
