A North Carolina lottery player started the new year off a winner after claiming a big jackpot prize, lottery officials said. Gary Thomas won $496,217 when he matched all five numbers in the Dec. 1 drawing of the Carolina Cash 5 game, the North Carolina Education Lottery said in a Jan. 3 news release.

Two North Carolina lottery players scored big wins in the same game. N.C. Education Lottery Two lottery players hit the jackpot on back-to-back nights, making for a lucky week in North Carolina. The players bought Carolina Cash 5 game tickets that matched all the numbers picked in the drawings on New Year’s Eve and New Year’s Day,

One lucky lottery player is starting the new year off with a bang after their ticket landed them a massive win. When someone wins the lottery, especially if it's a life-changing sum like $1 million or more,