Lottery player predicted he’d win a $4 million prize. Then it actually happened

A lottery player sensed he would win a $4 million prize — then it actually happened in North Carolina.

Thomas Harris was left in disbelief when his big prediction came true.

“I kept wondering if it could be real,” he told the N.C. Education Lottery in an Oct. 15 news release. “I had to go back and ask the owner to scan it for me.”

Harris got richer after he stopped at Tommy’s Mini Mart in Mebane, a roughly 30-mile drive east from Greensboro. While at the convenience store, officials said he tried his luck on a ticket for the Supreme 7s scratch-off game.

The game, which costs $30 to play, has a top prize of $4 million . Harris had “confidence” that he would hit the jackpot.

“I always said, ‘One day I’m going to get that $4 million,’” said the lucky winner, who beat 1-in-2.2 million odds to score the huge prize.

Instead of opting for annual payments, Harris decided to take his prize as a $2.4 million lump sum. He kept $1.7 million after taxes and hopes to “use his winnings to pay bills, invest, and fix up his cars,” according to lottery officials.

Harris, who is from the barbecue hub of Lexington , isn’t the first person to predict their win. Another North Carolina lottery player had a lucky feeling before discovering her windfall, McClatchy News reported in February.

Many people can gamble or play games of chance without harm. However, for some, gambling is an addiction that can ruin lives and families.

If you or a loved one shows signs of gambling addiction, you can seek help by calling the national gambling hotline at 1-800-522-4700 or visiting the National Council on Problem Gambling website.

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