Sleepless North Carolina woman wins $150,000 on phone lottery game
Sue Rowley of Mooresville said insomnia sent her to online lottery games, where a $30 play turned into a $150,000 prize.
By Georgia Hale · Staff Writer
2 min read
A sleepless night in North Carolina turned into a $150,000 surprise after a Mooresville woman picked up her phone and started playing lottery games online.
The North Carolina Education Lottery said Sue Rowley won the prize while playing Digital Instant games during a bout of insomnia on the night of July 8. Rowley told lottery officials she was having trouble sleeping, so she used her phone and began trying the games.
“It was late at night and I was just fiddling around playing when it happened,” Rowley said, according to the lottery.
The win came on Tumbling Treasures, the lottery said. Rowley placed a $30 bet on the game and hit a $150,000 prize.
Rowley told lottery officials the result did not feel real at first.
“I just didn't believe it at the time because this is not a normal occurrence,” she said.
A late night turns profitable
The lottery identified Rowley as a resident of Mooresville, a town in Iredell County. Officials said she had been playing Digital Instant lottery games when the Tumbling Treasures prize landed.
No elaborate strategy was described by the winner. By Rowley’s account to lottery officials, the whole thing began because she could not fall asleep and had her phone nearby.
The North Carolina Education Lottery said the winning play was a $30 wager. The prize attached to that play was $150,000.
Rowley said the money will help pay for renovations at home.
“We are pretty excited,” she told lottery officials.
What the lottery reported
The North Carolina Education Lottery’s account of the win included the following details:
- The winner was identified as Sue Rowley of Mooresville.
- She told officials she was awake late on July 8 because she was having trouble sleeping.
- She began playing Digital Instant lottery games on her phone.
- She placed a $30 bet on Tumbling Treasures.
- The play produced a $150,000 prize.
- Rowley said she plans to use the prize money for home renovations.
The lottery released the account publicly on July 15. Rowley’s win joins a familiar run of lottery stories where an ordinary moment, in this case a restless night, ends with a very unusual payout.
This story draws on original reporting from UPI.