written and last updated by
Sam Smith at
24 Oct 2025
Journalist, Editorial Department
A resident of North Carolina has won the lottery against odds of 1 in 962,598, successfully picking all five numbers in the Cash 5 game. This stroke of luck has made the player the state's newest millionaire. According to lottery officials, this jackpot marks the first prize exceeding $1 million since August 2024.
The historic Cash 5 win of $1,022,795 was claimed by Ray Walker from Gastonia. His incredible fortune effectively turned a $1 investment into a million-dollar payout. The winning ticket was sold at the Kingsway store on East Ozark Avenue in Gastonia, as reported by the lottery commission.
Walker personally visited the headquarters of the lottery organizer in Raleigh to collect his prize. He opted for a lump-sum cash payment of $733,856 after mandatory federal and state tax deductions.
In an interview, the winner admitted he was so excited that he started jumping and shouting. "I even had to splash water on my face to make sure I wasn't dreaming," Walker shared. He added that he couldn't sleep the night before receiving his prize. The winner plans to deposit his money in the bank and may visit relatives in Florida.
This major win comes just days after Kenneth Locklear claimed $1 million from the MAX-A-MILLION scratch-off lottery. Meanwhile, in New Jersey, a Cash 5 winner took home a jackpot of $370,000, and an unidentified player in Illinois won $3 million in Mega Millions.
In related news, a resident of the United Arab Emirates recently won the grand prize in the national lottery.
