RALEIGH – Someone who played the Lucky for Life lottery at an East Spencer gas station Thursday night woke up a winner of the prize of $1,000 a day for life.

But that person may not even know it yet.

N.C. Education Lottery officials announced Friday that, for the first time since Lucky for Life came to North Carolina in February, a ticket sold in the state has won the game’s top prize. Twenty U.S. lotteries sell tickets for the game.

“We are thrilled that someone in our state has won the prize of a lifetime,” said Executive Director Alice Garland. “$1,000 a day for life could add up to $10 million, $15 million or more.”

The winning ticket was purchased in Rowan County, at the Citgo Fast Stop No. 2 on Andrews Street in East Spencer. It beat odds of 1 in 30.8 million to match all six numbers drawn. The winning numbers were 4-5-9-28-37 for the white balls and 14 for the gold Lucky Ball.

The lucky winner has not yet been identified.

The winner has the option to claim the prize as a lump sum of $5.75 million. The annuity prize is guaranteed for at least 20 years to the winner’s estate or heirs. But the annuity payments will continue for the rest of the winner’s life.

In the nine months since Lucky for Life tickets went on sale here, nine North Carolina players have won the game’s second prize of $25,000 a year for life and 71 more have won $5,000 prizes.

Games like Lucky for Life make it possible for the lottery to raise more than half a billion dollars a year for education. To discover how those funds make a difference in every county, visit nclottery.com and click on the “for education” page.