‘Fake’ lottery ticket was actually real — and held a huge prize for NC jackpot winner

A “fake” lottery ticket was actually the real deal — and it held a huge prize for a North Carolina man.

“I thought it was a fake ticket at first,” winner Jeremy Howard told the N.C. Education Lottery. “I couldn’t believe it.”

Howard’s skepticism came as he discovered his ticket was worth $200,000 . That means he scored the first of nine top prizes in the new Mega Bucks scratch-off game, lottery officials wrote in a Sept. 23 news release.

“First thing I did was lock it up in the safe,” Howard said.

Howard kept his ticket out of harm’s way after he took a trip to the R-Mart in Albertson, a roughly 80-mile drive southeast from Raleigh. While at the convenience store, he spent $5 on his lucky Mega Bucks ticket.

Howard, who is from nearby Seven Springs, kept $143,001 after taxes. Now, he hopes to “splurge a little bit” and also finish paying his home and truck loans.

It’s not the first time a prize winner couldn’t believe his luck . In Maryland, another lottery player saw his ticket numbers matched those picked in a drawing and “thought it was fake,” McClatchy News reported in August.

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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