Man wins huge lottery win on online game in NC. ‘Honey, we won a lot of money’
A North Carolina man won a huge lottery prize after placing a 50-cent bet online.
James Roy was playing the online Bison Bonanza game from his Fuquay-Varina home Sept. 26 when he placed the bet, according to an Oct. 2 news release from the North Carolina Education Lottery.
Then, he hit the jackpot.
“It was a life-changing event,” he told lottery officials.
Roy’s 50-cent bet won him $488,063. He immediately called after his wife, who was in another room.
“I said, ‘Honey, we won a lot of money,’” he said.
The odds of winning the jackpot were 1 in 62 million, according to the lottery.
“It just shows anybody can win on anything,” Roy said.
After taxes, he took home $350,185.
Roy said he plans to “pay some bills, pay off his RV, and take a train trip across Canada with his wife.”
After Roy won the jackpot, it reset to $50,000 and has since grown to over $106,000 as of Oct. 2. Players can wager between 50 cents and $30.
Fuquay-Varina is about a 20-mile drive southwest from Raleigh.
This story was originally published October 2, 2025 at 1:25 PM with the headline "Man wins huge lottery win on online game in NC. ‘Honey, we won a lot of money’."
