Between November 22 and December 2, as we were busy carving turkey, the Virginia Lottery made some significant payouts and proudly announced the emergence of five new millionaires in Virginia.
Each player discovered unique routes to their individual $1 million windfalls, before taxes were deducted.
- A Powerball near-miss resulted in a victory as the jackpot reached an astonishing $1 billion.
- In addition, Mega Millions, a competing lottery game, also had a Virginia winner who matched 5 out of 6 numbers.
- The top prize was won by a player hailing from Alexandria who purchased the appropriately titled “Instant Millionaire” scratch ticket.
- Winning big from the comfort of your own home is made possible by online lottery plays, just like this fortunate Cash4Life lotto player hailing from Fredericksburg discovered.
- Furthermore, during a truck driver’s visit to a convenience store, they had the incredible luck of winning a staggering one million dollars with a “Hit It Big!” scratch-off ticket.
Virginia Lottery Millionaires announced on Nov. 22
Alice Grant beat odds of more than 1-in-1.2 million
Two Virginia Lottery Millionaires recently had their news published, coincidentally just two days prior to Thanksgiving, and they graciously posed for publicity photos.
In Alexandria, at the Duke Street Giant Food store, Alice Grant patiently awaited the completion of her daughter’s prescription at the pharmacy.
While the pharmacy staff diligently worked behind the counter, Grant decided to purchase an Instant Millionaire ticket to keep himself occupied. To his delight, the scratch-off game brought him a reason to celebrate rather than the need for ointment.
“When I cashed in my prize, I couldn’t believe it was real,” she exclaimed to the Virginia Lottery staff.
The online announcement from the lottery stated, “It was,” as the date on her substantial check was Oct. 31.
The odds of winning the top prize in the Instant Millionaire game are 1 in 1,224,000. The odds of winning any prize in this game are 1 in 3.91. Giant Food received a $10,000 bonus from the Virginia Lottery for selling the winning ticket.
As of December 7th, only one Instant Millionaire top ticket remains unclaimed in the game, with two out of the three top prizes already won.
George McGrady goes online for a big win
Which option would you prefer: receiving $1 million in a lump sum or getting $1,000 every week for the rest of your life?
When George McGrady visited a Virginia Lottery office on Nov. 2, he was faced with the decision of choosing between options. The Fredericksburg resident ultimately decided to go with the $1 million option.
McGrady took advantage of Virginia’s online lotto ticket sales, and luck was in his favor on November 1st when all five Cash4Life lotto numbers matched. Sadly, he narrowly missed out on the Cash Ball in the daily multi-state lotto game.
If someone is seeking a 6-for-6 match, the chances of finding one are 1 in 21.8 million. In the event that McGrady had matched the Cash Ball, he would have been offered $1,000 per day instead of per week.
No $1 billion for the Shakoors, but being a Virginia Lottery Millionaire is nice, too
On November 7, Fouzia Shakoor and her husband paid a visit to the Virginia Lottery offices, and the revelation of their stroke of luck came on November 22.
Similar to a lot of people, the couple participated in the Powerball game as the prize money reached an unprecedented level. They successfully matched all five white balls in the Nov. 2 draw. However, they fell short of guessing the correct Powerball number, which stood at $1.2 billion during that period.
Upon realizing the amount they had won, the Shakoor couple’s jubilant moment quickly turned into a mix of shock and disbelief at the Soapstone Drive 7-Eleven in Reston. Fouzia’s husband couldn’t help but exclaim, “I felt a knot in my stomach.”
The family intends to minimize college debt for their children while also making plans for a vacation.
The chance of hitting the jackpot in Powerball is 1 in 292.2 million, while the overall probability of winning any prize in the game is 1 in 25.
More Virginia Lottery Millionaires after Thanksgiving
Truck driver picks up a payday
Truck driver Jose Granados made a quick pit stop at the Royal Farms convenience store in Spotsylvania, VA, to refuel and grab a cup of coffee. As luck would have it, he decided to try his luck with a “Hit It Big!” lottery ticket, and boy did it deliver on its promise!
Granados informed lottery officials that he no longer felt hungry after discovering his $1 million win while scratching his ticket.
Hit It Big! offers a wide range of prizes, starting from $10 and going all the way up to a whopping $1 million. The current winner just claimed the second highest prize, leaving one more yet to be won. The chances of hitting the jackpot in this game are 1 in 1,672,800, while the overall odds of winning any prize stand at 1 in 3.87.
Good news travels
While Garland Hare was abroad, he discovered that his Mega Millions numbers had matched, granting him a fortunate $1 million victory.
One day before utilizing his passport, the computer programmer purchased a ticket for the November 1 drawing at the West Main Street Mini Mart in Salem.
He informed the Virginia Lottery that he intends to settle some financial obligations and embark on further travel adventures using his prize money.
The Mega Millions lottery drawings take place on Tuesdays and Fridays at 11 p.m. The likelihood of matching five numbers in Hare’s case is 1-in-12,607,306. Furthermore, the chances of hitting the Mega Millions jackpot stand at 1-in-302,575,350.
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