National

Lottery player wins $1 million jackpot in NC — and it’s not her first time

A North Carolina woman “was not expecting” to win a $1 million lottery prize for a second time, she told officials.
A North Carolina woman “was not expecting” to win a $1 million lottery prize for a second time, she told officials. Getty Images/iStockphoto

A North Carolina woman turned her $2 lottery ticket into a life-changing prize — and it’s not the first time.

Licette Griffin of Greensboro recalled “buckling to the floor” after realizing she’d won a $1.16 million instant jackpot, the North Carolina Education Lottery said in a July 25 news release.

She tried her luck at the Wheel of Bonuses digital instant game on July 18 and hit the jackpot, beating odds of 1-in-15.5 million to snag the top prize, officials said. 

“I literally went to the floor I was so weak at the knees,” Griffin told the lottery.

Luck struck twice for the Greensboro woman, who won $1 million on a $10 Jumbo Bucks scratcher in 2022, according to officials. She said she predicted that win but didn’t think it would happen again.

“My brain did not catch up with what was actually happening,” Griffin told the lottery of her most recent win. “I was not expecting that.”

She claimed her winnings July 24, and took home $836,318 after taxes

The windfall was extra special, coming the day after her husband’s birthday, she told officials.

“He wanted a pair of shoes for his birthday, so we went to Tanger and bought two pairs instead,” Griffin said, according to the lottery.

Griffin said she has other plans for her winnings, including paying off her home and putting money away for retirement.

Greensboro is about an 80-mile drive northwest from downtown Raleigh.

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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This story was originally published July 26, 2025 at 2:48 PM with the headline "Lottery player wins $1 million jackpot in NC — and it’s not her first time."

Tanasia Kenney
Sun Herald
Tanasia is a service journalism reporter at the Charlotte Observer | CharlotteFive, working remotely from Atlanta, Georgia. She covers restaurant openings/closings in Charlotte and statewide explainers for the NC Service Journalism team. She’s been with McClatchy since 2020.
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