North Carolina man wins $1M in Emerald 10 lottery after years of luck

Travis Wilhelm's routine lottery habit turned into a $1M jackpot—now he's trading luck for a new car. But more prizes still wait unclaimed.

, and Administrator

2026 March 31 . 2:03 AM

1 min read

The image shows a store front with a glass door adorned with stickers and a sign that reads... — The image shows a store front with a glass door adorned with stickers and a sign that reads "Lotto". Inside the store, there is a car and a person standing in front of it.

North Carolina man wins $1M in Emerald 10 lottery after years of luck

A North Carolina man has become the latest millionaire after winning a top prize in the Emerald 10 lottery. Travis Wilhelm claimed his $1 million reward, though taxes reduced his final payout. Meanwhile, several other big prizes in the same game remain unclaimed across the state. Wilhelm secured his fortune by matching all five winning numbers in the Emerald 10 draw. His ticket, purchased at Fast Phil's convenience store on Harmony Highway in Iredell County, used the same set of numbers he plays every time. Instead of annual payments, he opted for a one-time lump sum of $600,000, which left him with $430,503 after deductions.

The odds of winning the Emerald 10 jackpot stand at 1 in 3.8 million. Despite Wilhelm's success, 12 top-tier prizes—including three listed on the game's official page—were still waiting to be claimed as of March 31, 2026. Wilhelm has already decided how to spend part of his windfall: a new car is at the top of his list.

The Emerald 10 game continues to offer life-changing sums, with multiple million-dollar prizes still outstanding. Wilhelm's win confirms the potential rewards, though taxes and lump-sum choices reduce the final amount. His story adds to the growing list of North Carolina lottery winners this year.