Goodbye $50,000 prize, hello $150,000: “I guess it was just my day”

What started as a routine visit to a lottery office turned into an unforgettable double win for Dennis Parks. The 81-year-old resident of Carthage, North Carolina, had gone to the Greensboro Regional Office and Claims Center to collect a prize worth $50,000, when, to his astonishment, he won a second prize on the spot: $100,000 from a birthday Keno ticket.

A birthday lottery to remember

Parks told officials from the North Carolina Education Lottery – the state’s official gaming authority – that he had made the trip to cash in a “Merry Multiplier” scratch-off win. His daughter, who had accompanied him for the day, surprised him with a Keno ticket to mark his 81st birthday.

“She bought the ticket for my birthday,” Parks recalled. “I turned 81 on Monday.”

What seemed like a thoughtful, symbolic gift quickly became a life-changing one. The Keno ticket turned out to be a top-prize winner, bringing Parks’ total winnings to $150,000 in a single day. “I guess it was just my day,” said the still-stunned retiree, reacting with humility to his extraordinary luck.

A rare and remarkable case of luck

Officials at the North Carolina Education Lottery highlighted just how rare Parks’ story is. While it’s not uncommon for players to win multiple prizes over time, “it’s extremely rare for someone to win a second major prize on the same day – let alone while claiming the first,” they told UPI.

Parks now joins a select group of players who have experienced a same-day double win under such unusual and heartwarming circumstances. His story has drawn attention not just for the size of the prizes, but for the emotional twist – a birthday gift from his daughter that ended up doubling their luck.

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