A North Carolina man who admitted that he rarely buys Powerball tickets but was lured by the rising jackpot earned a big payday.
Chad McLamb, of Coats, purchased a Powerball Quick Pick ticket on Aug. 25 and won $50,000 after matching four white balls and the red Powerball -- but because he invested $3 to try the Power Play option, his winning ticket tripled to $150,000, North Carolina lottery officials said in an Aug. 29 news release.
“I was shaking,” McLamb said.
McLamb said he had not played the lottery game in a long time, but decided to take a chance when the jackpot surged to $777 million. The jackpot has since risen to $1.1 billion heading into Monday night’s drawing.
Chad McLamb of Coats does not normally buy Powerball tickets, but he noticed the high jackpot so he tried his luck and won a $150,000 prize! “This is perfect timing for us,” McLamb said. “It’ll make everything a lot more comfortable.” His ticket was from Bass Country Store on NC… pic.twitter.com/p5WESBpae7
— NC Education Lottery (@nclottery) August 29, 2025
“I usually only buy them when the jackpot gets big,” he told lottery officials. “I know it hasn’t been this big since last year.”
McLamb bought his lucky ticket from Bass Country Store on N.C. 27 East in Coats, located about 30 miles south of Raleigh.s
“This is perfect timing for us,” McLamb said. “It’ll make everything a lot more comfortable.”
McLamb arrived at lottery headquarters on Thursday to claim his winnings. After the required federal and state tax withholdings, he netted $107,626.
McLamb said he plans to use the money to buy a car and do home renovations.
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