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A woman in North Carolina is still feeling some shock after scoring a huge lottery win that she called a "big blessing."
Vida Potter, of Goldsboro, had just finished celebrating Thanksgiving on November 28 with her family when she went home and played her favorite digital instant game, Bison Bonanza, according to a release from the NC Education Lottery. After playing a $2 ticket, Potter beat the 1 in 15.5 million odds to win the game's top "Epic jackpot" level to score the progressive jackpot, which at that time was $242,335.
"I was in shock. I still am in shock right now," she said, adding that the excitement lasted for days. "I couldn't sleep that whole weekend."
Potter claimed her prize at lottery headquarters on Monday (December 9), taking home a total of $173,271 after all required state and federal tax withholdings. While she hasn't full decided on what to do with her new winnings, the Wayne County woman told lottery officials that she plans to "make smart moves with it." Until then, she is simply grateful for the win.
"This is a big blessing," she said.
For ideas on how to spend her prize, Potter could follow in the footsteps of past winners, such as one lucky player who planned to used his $1 million win for a family vacation and another who wants to do home renovations with his "life-changing" prize.