Durham Man Wins $8 Million Lottery Prize

Everett Harris of Durham struck it big Monday, winning the first $8 million prize in the new $8 Million Money Maker lottery game.

“I was just on a roll,” Harris said. “Every ticket seemed to be a winner.”

Harris purchased his lucky ticket at Tommy’s Mini Mart on South Miami Boulevard.

“I really didn’t believe what I was seeing,” he said. “I hit the big one.”

Harris visited lottery headquarters Tuesday to claim his prize, where he chose to receive a lump sum payment of $4.8 million instead of an annuity of $400,000 per year over 20 years. After required state and federal tax withholdings, Harris took home $3,444,014.

“It’s all luck, and it was my lucky day yesterday,” he said.

Harris plans to use his winnings to buy a new truck, work on his house, and pay some bills.

The $8 Million Money Maker game debuted in December and costs $50 per ticket. It offers five top prizes of $8 million and 10 prizes of $100,000. Four top prizes and nine $100,000 prizes remain unclaimed.

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