$1M Wilmington Powerball winner announced

WILMINGTON, NC (WWAY) — The North Carolina Education Lottery has announced the winner of the $1 million Powerball winner.

Terry Wallington of Wilmington said he was on the job working as a parking lot attendant Thursday morning, when he checked his Powerball ticket for Wednesday’s drawing and found out he had won $1 million, according to lottery officials. 

Wallington told officials that when he saw that he had matched five of the six Powerball numbers in the drawing, he had to check the results on his phone four or five times. He also said he called his brother and sister, and then started crying tears of joy.

“I’ve never seen anything like that,” said Wallington.

He bought the Quick Pick ticket, which beat odds of 1 in 11.7 million, at the BP Gas Center #12 on Market Street.

After federal and state tax withholdings, he received $692,500.

Wallington said he planned to help his family, his brother and sister, and donate to a good cause. He said he might trade up from his 1998 Ford Crown Victoria to a used Cadillac. Otherwise, he said, he had no big plans.

“I’m not into trips and I am not into splurging,” Wallington said. “I really don’t need anything. I’m content.”

Since no ticket in the drawing matched all six numbers, the jackpot has climbed to a $50 million annuity, worth $33.6 million if claimed as a one-time lump sum, for Saturday’s drawing. Powerball drawings are held at 10:59 p.m. Wednesdays and Saturdays. Four North Carolina players have won Powerball jackpots.