Lucky Man Buys Two Identical Lottery Tickets, Hits Jackpot Twice

A North Carolina man has defied the odds and won the lottery twice.

Scotty Thomas of Fayetteville accidentally bought two identical lottery tickets, and his numbers came up—twice—on November 27.

Thomas said: "I was just laying in bed watching a basketball game on TV, and I couldn't remember if I filled it out or not.

"I went ahead and filled it out again and the next morning my son asked why there were two different amounts listed. I realized and said 'I think I filled it out twice.'"

When asked to relive the moment he realized his numbers had come in, he said: "When I realized I won, I had to lay down on the floor because I really just couldn't believe it. "It's just a blessing."

The 49-year-old, who works as a dump truck operator, received two emails about his winning tickets as he bought both $2 tickets through the lottery's online program.

Thomas was able to get a total of $780,000, collecting $390,000 from each ticket. He plans to invest in his business, a new house, and help his family. After taxes, he ended up taking home $551,851.

Newsweek has contacted the North Carolina Lottery for comment.

In early November a Virginia man won the lottery 20 times after purchasing 20 identical tickets.

According to the Virginia Lottery, William Newell decided to purchase 20 tickets for the same drawing with the four-digit combination 5-4-1-1.

Virginia Lottery spokesperson John Hagerty told Newsweek the "pick 4" game allowed each ticket to win the top prize.

He said: "It is possible to increase total winnings in a drawing by buying multiple tickets with the same numbers."

He added: "Buying multiple tickets with the same numbers does not increase or decrease the chances of winning."

Newell won $5,000 on each identical ticket, leading to a total prize of $100,000.

Newell told officials he had no plans for spending the money. "It feels good, no doubt about it."

Just over a year ago the state of Virginia began allowing the online purchasing of lottery tickets in an effort to make participating in the draws more accessible.

Virginia Lottery Executive Director Kevin Hall said in a statement: "Virginians have really taken to the convenience of playing the Lottery from their smartphones, tablets or computers.

"The lottery is constantly looking for innovative and convenient ways to meet customer expectations while also providing lots of opportunities for our players to imagine the possibilities of a winning moment," Hall finished the statement by saying.