Fayetteville Woman Wins $200,000 Lottery Prize During Stop for Daughter’s Snack

Ebony Jacobs from Fayetteville scored a $200,000 jackpot when she ducked into a store to grab her daughter something to eat. So, that little gesture turned into a massive win for Jacobs. The winning $5 Mega Bucks ticket came from PMG Short Stop on Ramsey Street.

Jacobs carried the ticket back to her truck and started scratching. “I had to put my other glasses on to check it because I was just in shock,” she said, according to a release. Her pulse hammered in her chest.

She arrived at lottery headquarters on Thursday, July 30, to collect what she’d won. After required state and federal tax withholdings, Jacobs walked out with $144,021.

“This is coming at a great time,” she said.

Jacobs plans to buy a car and whisk her family away on vacation. “Playing the lottery is my happy place,” Jacobs said. The lottery website has nearly 30 comments congratulating her on the win.

The Mega Bucks game launched in June. It offered five top prizes of $200,000. Three remain unclaimed.

Education programs in Cumberland County received $22.4 million in support from lottery funds last year. Information about how lottery funds have helped all 100 counties across North Carolina can be found on the lottery’s website.