Rural Hall Coach Snags $520K Jackpot on a $5 Play

A Rural Hall man is still riding the high of a $520,690 digital jackpot after his Friday morning win left him squeaking in disbelief. Gary Warren Jr. was so shocked that his wife immediately knew something big had happened—just from the pitch of his voice.

Warren hit the top “Alakazam” prize while playing The Lamp: Dark Arts, a $5 digital instant game with a progressive jackpot.
Fun fact: the odds of hitting that top prize were a wild 1 in 12.9 million.

He visited lottery headquarters on Thursday to claim his winnings and took home $373,597 after taxes.

What’s he planning to do with it?

• Invest for the future

• Buy his daughter a car

• Give back to the youth football program in Pfafftown, where he’s coached for over 20 years

After his win, the game’s jackpot reset to $100,000 and had already grown past $123,000 by Thursday afternoon. The lottery currently offers 59 digital instant games through its app and website.

Local schools are also benefiting—Forsyth County received $21.3 million in lottery funding last year.