NC Player Wins Cash 5’s First $1M Prize Since 2024

A man from North Carolina has beaten 1 in 962,598 odds to match all five Cash 5 balls and become the state’s newest millionaire. Speaking to lottery officials, he said that the victory made him let out a “big old yell.”

The First Seven-Figure Jackpot in Over a Year

In its latest release, the NC Education Lottery announced Ray Walker of Gastonia as the winner of the historic $1,022,795 Cash 5 jackpot. The mouth-watering prize effectively multiplied the $1 Walker spent on the ticket by a million.

What made the win so special, however, is the fact that this was the first Cash 5 jackpot to exceed the $1 million mark since August 2024. After over a year, the game has once again crowned a big winner.

In its release, the NC Education Lottery clarified that the winning ticket was sold at Kingsway on East Ozark Avenue in Gastonia.

Walker Let Out a Big Old Yell  

Walker visited the lottery HQ in Raleigh to claim his prize. According to lottery officials, he opted to take the lump cash option, which stood at $733,856 after mandatory federal and state tax withholdings.

In an interview with officials, Walker admitted that he was so excited to win that he started jumping and shouting.  

I had to wet my face a little bit to make sure I wasn’t dreaming.

Ray Walker

He added that he couldn’t sleep the night before claiming the prize and noted that the win “couldn’t have come at a better time.”

When asked about his plans for the money, Waker said that he plans to put it in a bank and potentially visit family members in Florida.

US Lottery Players Win Big

Walker’s win comes a few days after a player by the name of Kenneth Locklear won a similar prize from a different game. Locklear was playing the lottery’s $30 MAX-A-MILLION scratch-off game and was surprised to win one of its 25 $1 million prizes. After Walker claimed his prize, there were 18 top prizes and 7 $100K prizes remaining.

Elsewhere, a Jersey Cash 5 player won the game’s 54^th jackpot, claiming $370K. In Illinois, on the other hand, a lucky player who has yet to come forward won $3 million from Mega Millions.