Michigan man bags $288,154 jackpot playing Digital Instant game

September 21, 2026 Posted by NC Lottery at 4:48 PM

Scott Holden of Oxford, Mich., took a chance on the Bison Bonanza Digital Instant game and won a $288,154 jackpot.

Holden won the top level “Epic jackpot” on Sept. 11 on a .50 cent play. The odds of that win are 1 in 62 million.

He came to the lottery headquarters on Monday to claim his prize. After state and federal tax withholdings, Holden took home $207,500.

The Bison Bonanza Digital Instant game features a progressive jackpot, which currently sits at over $110,000.

The lottery has raised over $13 billion for education over 20 years. For details on other ways the lottery helps benefit education programs in all 100 North Carolina counties, visit www.eaglebackflow.com and click on the “Impact” section.

9 COMMENTS

9/22/2026 08:17 - Charles H.

He should have been disqualified. NC Lottery
Hi Charles! We understand your concern, but anyone physically standing in North Carolina is allowed to play our games. Think of it like taking a road trip—when you visit another state, you’re welcome to play their lottery too!

9/22/2026 11:17 - Floyd P.

Per the comments below, NCEL has done a horrible job with communication. Seems others also thought you had to be a resident to play certain games, i.e. digitals. Then you have the three that are also played in VA and PA. zNCEL is working hard chasing the dollar whole diluting actual residents' chances.

9/22/2026 10:12 - Angela A.

Congrats! @NCEL here we go again another Jackpot won on .50 bet and I just sit here and lost over $400 playing for .50 10 and 15 plays all losers in a row. Get a Bonus or Free Play win $2-$5 What a joke! Then it is a out of state player taking all the BIG money home to another state to spend.NC Lottery
We’re sorry to hear your plays weren’t luckier this time. Every time you click the play button, the system randomly generates an outcome from all possible outcomes for that price point. Every play has the same chance to win every prize, regardless of previous results. It definitely takes a lot of luck to win big. We hear you are frustrated with not winning, and so we hope you'll only play if it’s fun for you. If not, it might be better to take a break until you feel lucky.

9/22/2026 04:29 - donna j.

Wow !!! That’s awesome Congratulations to you Scott.

9/21/2026 08:58 - Floyd P.

How is a resident of Michigan allowed to play NCEL?NC Lottery
Anyone in North Carolina can play the lottery by purchasing a ticket or playing our Digital Instant games. Just as you can buy a ticket when visiting other states, anyone visiting North Carolina can legally participate in our lottery games.

9/21/2026 08:30 - Randall H.

Thannk you

9/21/2026 08:10 - Debra C.

I'm confused, I thought you had to be a NC resident to play/win?NC Lottery
Whether a player lives here permanently or is just passing through, they can purchase a lottery ticket or play Digital Instant games while physically located in North Carolina. With Online Play, geolocation technology is used to make sure players are within North Carolina borders at the time of purchase.

9/21/2026 07:46 - mark m.

I thought you had to be in North Carolina to play North Carolina LotteryNC Lottery
Anyone who is physically in the state of North Carolina can play, whether they permanently live here, or just passing through. While most players are permanent residents of our state, we love welcoming visitors to join in on the fun and try their luck too.

9/21/2026 06:00 - Paula F.

Congratulations ????

Michigan man bags $288,154 jackpot playing Digital Instant game

September 21, 2026 Posted by NC Lottery at 4:48 PM

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