RALEIGH — Michael Underwood, of Taylorsville, won a $1.16 million jackpot on Saturday while playing the Multiplier Mania digital instant game, officials with the N.C. Education Lottery announced on Friday.
Underwood, who purchased a $2 ticket, hit the top-level ‘gold jackpot’ in the game, which features a progressive jackpot that can be won at any time. The odds of winning such a prize are 1 in 20 million.
“I started shaking for about an hour,” Underwood recalled. “I was in disbelief.”
Underwood’s win is the second largest since the lottery introduced digital instant games. After realizing his win, he immediately called his son to share the news.
“My son thought it was an April Fools’ Day joke,” Underwood laughed. “He had to check to make sure it wasn’t April yet.”
Underwood claimed his prize at lottery headquarters on Thursday. After federal and state tax withholdings, he received $836,957. He plans to invest his winnings, although specific details about his investment plans were not disclosed.
Underwood’s unexpected win marks a significant moment in his life, as he navigates the possibilities opened by his newfound fortune.
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