Photo: Deagreez/iStock/Getty Images
A man in North Carolina who utilizes an unexpected strategy to play the lottery won big thanks to the unique way he chooses numbers.
While some people may have a specific set of numbers they chooses when playing the lottery, John Ross, of Leland, has a different approach and chooses numbers at random when he plays the Lucky for Life game, according to a release from the NC Education Lottery.
"I just close my eyes and point at random numbers," he said, laughing, adding, "I always just play one ticket because that's all it takes to win right?"
Ross used his winning strategy when he purchased a $2 ticket using Online Play for the July 14 drawing and ended up matching all five white balls called during the drawing to win the $25,000 a year for life prize.
"The day of the drawing was actually my wife's birthday," he said. "It's hard to believe."
Ross claimed his prize at lottery headquarters on Friday (July 26) where he had the choice of receiving his winnings as either the $25,000 a year for the rest of his life or as a one time, lump sum payment of $390,000. He ended up choosing the latter and was able to take home a total of $278,851 after all required state and federal tax withholdings. According to lottery officials, he plans to use his winnings to pay bills, donate to charity and save some for when he ultimately retires.
"This will help get me to where I need to be for retirement," he said.