A quiet Friday morning in Rural Hall turned unforgettable when Gary Warren Jr. suddenly hit a massive $520,690 digital jackpot. He said the shock was so intense that his voice jumped to a high pitch the moment he realized he’d won.
Warren had been playing The Lamp: Dark Arts, a digital instant game with a progressive jackpot, when a simple $5 play triggered the top “Alakazam” prize.
And here’s the wild part:
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Odds of winning? 1 in 12.9 million.
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His first call? His wife — who instantly knew something big had happened just from his voice.
He officially claimed his prize on Thursday at lottery headquarters, walking away with $373,597 after taxes.
Despite the huge surprise, Warren already has a few meaningful plans for the money. The longtime football coach — more than 20 years on the field — wants to invest wisely, buy his daughter a car, and give back to the youth football program he supports in Pfafftown.
After his win, the jackpot for The Lamp: Dark Arts reset to $100,000 and had already climbed past $123,000 by Thursday afternoon. The game is one of 59 digital instant options available exclusively on the lottery’s website and mobile app.
And in the bigger picture, Forsyth County education programs saw $21.3 million in lottery funding last year, showing just how far those ticket sales go.
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