Gas pump refused to print a college student’s receipt — the inconvenience sent him inside and made him a millionaire

Sometimes a stroke of bad luck is just good fortune in disguise. Bram Dunehew found that out at a gas pump on N.C. 49 in Harrisburg, North Carolina. He only wanted fuel, but the pump jammed and refused to print his receipt. Annoyed, the Concord civil engineering student had to walk inside the Sam’s Mart to grab a copy from the clerk. While standing at the counter, he made a split-second call to buy a $3 Powerball ticket for the Halloween drawing. That minor hassle turned into a massive $2 million win after his Power Play doubled the prize. This was later reported by WSOC-TV on November 5, 2026.

A broken receipt machine

Dunehew thought he was making a routine pit stop for fuel in Harrisburg. The Concord civil engineering student pulled up to the pumps outside the Sam’s Mart on N.C. 49, expecting to leave within minutes. But after filling his tank, the pump ran into an unexpected snag and failed to spit out his paper receipt. Rather than drive off empty-handed, he decided to park his car and walk into the store. He walked past the glass doors to grab the printed slip directly from the store clerk.

Spontaneous stop at the counter

Waiting inside by the register, Dunehew found himself staring at the lottery display while the attendant sorted out his receipt. On a whim, he bought a $3 Powerball ticket with Power Play for the Halloween drawing. He never planned on playing when he pulled into the lot. "It’s crazy because I never would have even bought that ticket if the receipt had printed outside," Dunehew said.

The shocking Halloween reveal

The winning numbers were pulled over Halloween weekend, and Dunehew pulled out his slip to verify the results. To his utter disbelief, his quick-pick ticket aligned with all five white balls. The base match secured an automatic million-dollar payout, but his extra dollar for the Power Play feature instantly doubled the total to $2 million. He could hardly believe it. "It’s absolutely preposterous," he said. "I fell over when I saw it."

Lottery remains the most common form

A 2026 Gallup survey found that buying state lottery tickets remained the most commonly reported gambling activity among U.S. adults. Thirty-one percent said they had bought a state lottery ticket in the previous 12 months, compared with 14% who had gambled in person at a casino and 7% who had bet on a professional sporting event. Lottery participation was down from 49% in 2016.

Claiming the life-changing windfall

On Monday, Dunehew arrived at the North Carolina Education Lottery headquarters in Raleigh to make his fortune official. After mandatory state and federal tax deductions, lottery officials handed him a check for $1,440,201. The windfall instantly turned the spooky season into his favorite time of the year. "I think Halloween’s now my favorite holiday," he said. Looking forward, Dunehew wants to share the luck with his family, starting with buying a Cadillac for his father. "If I can pull it off, I’m going to just hide it in the garage and try to see his reaction when he gets home," he said.

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