Zebulon woman wins $150K scratch-off prize: 'I started screaming'

RALEIGH, N.C. (WTVD) -- A Zebulon woman got excited when her scratch-off ticket won a big prize.

Julie Barham lay on her bed scratching a $5 lottery ticket when all of a sudden she saw she won the first $150,000 top prize in a new holiday game.

"I just started screaming," she said. "I was so excited."

She said her screams immediately got the attention of her children.

ALSO SEE | Raleigh man, Smithfield woman win $347K in Cash 5 lottery jackpot

"My kids came running up the stairs," Barham said. "They started jumping up and down when they found out."

She bought her lucky Peppermint Payout ticket from Archer Lodge Express on Buffalo Road in Archer Lodge. Barham said she liked the new scratch-and-sniff feature of the Peppermint Payout game.

"I was like, 'Gosh, this smells like peppermint,'" she said with a laugh.

She collected her prize at lottery headquarters in Raleigh on Wednesday and, after required state and federal tax withholdings, took home $107,626.

"It feels good to win this right before Christmas," she said.

Barham plans to put her winnings into savings.

The Peppermint Payout game debuted in November with three $150,000 top prizes. Two $150,000 prizes remain to be claimed.

Stay on top of breaking news stories with the ABC11 News App