Itchy hand leads man to huge lottery prize in North Carolina. ‘I went into a trance’
A North Carolina man’s hand wouldn’t stop itching — and it led him to win a huge lottery prize.
“I went into a trance or something,” Brian Hicks told the N.C. Education Lottery after he learned he was getting richer.
Hicks said he bought the winning lottery ticket when the pesky sensation guided him to a Rose Mart store in Henderson, roughly 45 miles northeast of Raleigh.
“My left hand started itching so bad the closer I got to that store so I just said, ‘Let me try something here,’” Hicks told the N.C. Education Lottery in a Nov. 3 news release. “It was like telling me to stop.”
At the store, Hicks spent $20 to play the Big Cash Payout scratch-off game. He checked his ticket and couldn’t believe his luck as he raced to share the good news with his dad, officials said.
“I told him, ‘Hold on to your hat. I just won $100,000,’” Hicks said.
Hicks, who reportedly kept $71,256 after taxes, plans to go house hunting after scoring the jackpot win. He is from Stovall, in Granville County and roughly 50 miles north of Raleigh.
According to superstition, an itchy hand can be a sign that money is on the horizon. In addition to Hicks, lottery players in North Carolina and California said their hands itched before their recent wins, McClatchy News reported.
BEHIND THE STORY
MOREWhen gambling is more than a game
Gambling is designed to be a source of entertainment.
If you or a loved one shows signs of gambling addiction, you can seek help by calling the national gambling hotline at 1-800-522-4700 or visiting the National Council on Problem Gambling website.
This story was originally published November 3, 2023 at 10:57 AM with the headline "Itchy hand leads man to huge lottery prize in North Carolina. ‘I went into a trance’."
