Virginia Woman in Her 60s Wins $1 Million Top Prize, Chooses Annuity Option

A Gloucester woman recently hit the top prize of $1 million in the Virginia Lottery’s popular scratch-off game, $100,000 a Year. The lucky winner, now in her 60s, chose to receive her winnings as $100,000 per year over 10 years rather than a lump sum payment of $816,000 before taxes.

She purchased her winning ticket at Food Lion on Hargett Blvd., and after scratching it off, shared the exciting news with her daughter, asking, “Are you sitting down? ’Cause I have something to tell you.”

Instead of keeping the full amount, she decided to split the annual payments with her two daughters, who plan to use their shares to buy houses. The woman herself hopes to extend the home she purchased years ago with a previous lottery win of $25,000 when she was in her 20s. She also dreams of buying an affordable Corvette.

The $20 scratch-off game offers prizes ranging from $20 up to the $1 million top prize, with odds of winning the grand prize at about 1 in 612,000. Following her win, only one $1 million top prize ticket remains unclaimed.