North Carolina Lottery Win Is A Tribute To Late Father

This North Carolina Lottery winning story is kind of rare.  I don't usually read a story about a winner and the first word that pops in my head be, "heartwarming."  However, that's the case here.

I've often thought of how I could do something or carry on some tradition to honor my father when the time comes that he's no longer with me (and please let that be many years from now).  He's a professional photographer.  Taking pictures is what he does, it's what he loves.  Perhaps, I'll do something with that.  I'm certain when my days are over, my son will do something with the game of golf.  It's what I do-what we've done together, it's what I love.

Two years ago, Charlotte's Alan Aguilera lost his father.  His dad loved to play the lottery.  So, in tribute to his dad, Alan continued to play because it's what his father did, it's what he loved to do.

According to WCNC, Aguilera bought his lucky $3 Quick Pick ticket for the June 24 Powerball drawing using Online Play. He matched the numbers on four white balls and the red Powerball to win $50,000. His prize tripled to $150,000 when the 3X multiplier hit.

There are some states that are luckier than others. There is no doubt about it. North Carolina made the list of 15 lucky states in the United States, according to OLBG. Everyone has fantasized about winning the lottery, whether it's the Mega Millions or the Powerball. Whether you're planning a lavish vacation, buying a house, treating a loved one, giving to charity, or all of the above, when we buy a ticket we always have a little bit of hope and our imaginations go wild when we hear about the unclaimed winning ticket...

When it comes to winning big on the lottery, which states are the luckiest? To determine where in America has the greatest likelihood of winning the big bucks, OLBG analyzed all lottery winners in the U.S. with a jackpot of $300 million or more. You can see the top 15 states below.

California was ranked 12th luckiest state despite having the highest number of big lottery winners, primarily because the state has such a large population that there are very few lottery winners, and the average winning ticket for a California winner is only $190.5 million.

North Carolina has won a whopping $1.1 billion between both lottery winners, making its average winning ticket $550 million, the highest in the country. As a result of its higher population, North Carolina didn't quite capture the title by itself, with a lower percentage of its population winning than New Hampshire.

In terms of lottery jackpot winners, New Hampshire and North Carolina share the gold for the luckiest states. Residents in New Hampshire have won a total of $693.7 million, which is an average of $346.85 million per winning ticket. As one of the states with the highest percentage of people who have won over $300 million, New Hampshire has the third smallest population.