Raleigh father plans to pay daughter's college with $180K win

A lottery player in North Carolina who thought he was playing a digital instant game in demo mode scored a six-figure win, which will serve as a present for his daughter's tuition.

The lucky man thought he was playing in demo mode

On Friday, the North Carolina Education Lottery confirmed that a Raleigh resident who recently won a hefty lottery prize already has plans about the windfall.

A press release confirms that the name of the lucky winner is Alphonzo Oates.

The man, who was playing the Wheel of Bonuses game initially thought that he entered the game's demo mode.

To Oates' surprise and shock, he turned a $1 ticket into an Epic jackpot win of $177,749.

The fortunate winner spoke to Lottery officials and admitted: "I thought I was playing in demo mode. It surprised the heck out of me."

The Raleigh resident visited the Lottery headquarters on Friday to claim his big win.

Considering that lottery winnings are subject to state and federal taxes, Oates' bank account grew by $127,092.

When the lucky man was asked if he had plans about the jackpot win, he said: "I can use this to pay off my daughter’s last year of college. That will be her Christmas gift."

Explaining that the windfall marks a happy moment for him and his family, Oates said that his daughter can now graduate college without the burden of debt.

As it turns out, the lucky lottery player likes to play digital instant games.

"It’s just a fun way to pass the time," Oates admitted, adding that he often plays such games when he has time to spare.

The Lottery offers a total of 33 digital instant games

The North Carolina Education Lottery's Wheel of Bonuses digital instant game costs between $0.50 and $30.00 per play.

The game has progressive jackpot prizes with the odds of scoring the top prize being 1 in 31,034,483.

At the time of writing, the jackpot is an estimated $257,662.

The Wheel of Bonuses digital instant game is one of nearly three dozen such titles available via the North Carolina Education Lottery's mobile application or its official website.

Image credit: North Carolina Education Lottery