A lottery player in North Carolina said she always expected to hit a big win, but when she did, she still "wasn't expecting to see all those zeroes." Audrey Peele of Wilmington won $100,000 in the new Ruby Red 7's scratch-off game from a gas station in Hampstead, the North Carolina Education Lottery said Aug. 6.

One Connecticut lottery player got $100,000 richer Wednesday night. That's because they won yesterday's Power Play, matching four numbers and the Powerball. No one won the Powerball jackpot, which is now up to an estimated $482 million in advance of Saturday night's drawing.

You can choose from national lottery games, like the Powerball and Mega Millions, or a variety of local games, like the DC 2, DC 3, DC 4 and DC 5. While your odds of winning a big jackpot in the Powerball or Mega Millions are generally pretty slim ( here’s how they compare to being struck by lightning or dealt a royal flush),