Virginia man wins $1 million lottery prize off 7-Eleven scratcher, plans to buy pool and hot tub
In The Money Scratcher (Virginia Lottery)
VIRGINIA - An anonymous Virginia man is celebrating a life-changing win after scratching a ticket inside a convenience store and realizing he had just hit it big.
What we know:
The man won a $1 million prize playing the "In the Money" scratch-off game after purchasing his ticket at a 7-Eleven on Timberlake Road in Lynchburg.
He scratched the ticket inside the store and immediately realized he had won. "Oh, I just hit big!" he thought.
Virginia law allows winners of $1 million or more to remain anonymous, so his identity was not released.
He had the option to receive the full prize in annual payments over 30 years or take a one-time cash payout of $476,000 before taxes. He chose the lump sum.
By the numbers:
The "In the Money" game offers prizes ranging from $50 to $1 million.
This marks the first top prize claimed in the game, leaving two $1 million prizes still unclaimed.
The odds of winning the top prize are 1 in 408,000, while the odds of winning any prize are 1 in 3.5.
Where to buy tickets
Virginia Lottery scratch-off tickets, including "In the Money," are sold at convenience stores and authorized retailers across the state.
Retailers that sell a winning $1 million ticket receive a $10,000 bonus, which in this case went to the Lynchburg 7-Eleven where the ticket was purchased.
What's next:
The winner told lottery officials he plans to use his winnings to buy a pool and a hot tub.
Dig deeper:
All Virginia Lottery profits go toward K-12 education in the state.
In Lynchburg City, more than $9.4 million in lottery funds went to K-12 education last fiscal year. Statewide, the lottery raised more than $901 million for education in fiscal year 2025, accounting for about 10% of the total K-12 school budget.
The Source: This article was written using information from the Virginia Lottery.