Va. woman wins $1 million while showing friend how to play lottery

Mar 22, 2017, 8:32 am (11 comments)

Virginia Lottery

By Todd Northrop

RICHMOND, Va. — A Virginia woman won $1 million Tuesday after attempting to show her friend how to play a scratch-off ticket lottery.

Merry Thomas took her friend Julie to the Giant Food store on Town and Country Road in Fredericksburg where she showed her how to work the self-serve machine to scan for a winning ticket.

Julie's ticket won $12.

Merry's ticket won $1 million.

"I've been freaking out since then!" Merry said.

"Right in front of my eyes, I saw this woman turn into a puddle," Julie added.

A Virginia Lottery spokesman said Thomas bought the ticket after finishing an overnight shift, but said she did not want to disclose her job. Thomas could not be reached for comment.

Merry won the top prize in the 20X the Money game. She had a choice of taking the full $1 million prize over 30 years or a one-time cash option of $630,915 before taxes. She chose the cash option.

Merry said she has no immediate plans for her winnings.

"I just feel so fortunate," she said. "It's unbelievable!"

The Stafford Giant will receive a $10,000 bonus from the Virginia Lottery for selling the winning ticket.

The grocery store is less than 2 miles from a Stafford Wawa that sold another life-changing scratch-off ticket earlier this month.

Virginia Lottery spokesman John Hagerty said the string of good luck in southern Stafford "just goes to show that it can happen any time, any place."

Two weeks ago, a Stafford man claimed a $492,919 prize from a Virginia Lottery scratch-off ticket. Shaun Bennett, a carpenter, purchased his winning "20 Years of Cash" ticket at the Wawa on Butler Road.

He opted for a one-time cash payment over his other option: $2,500 a month for 20 years.

20X the Money (Game #1689) is one the Scratcher games available from the Virginia Lottery, with prizes ranging from $10 to $1 million. The chances of winning $1 million in this game are 1 in 1,162,800. The chances of winning any prize in this game are 1 in 3.44.

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Lottery Post Staff

Comments

MzDuffleBaglady's avatarMzDuffleBaglady

Party

dpoly1's avatardpoly1

Dance

YOI!

AND DOUBLE YOI!

music*'s avatarmusic*

 A good deed rewarded.  Merry Thomas is now $600,000.00 richer. This is a giant addition to her retirement fund. Patriot

Lsmith1535

I would have been happy with the 12 bucks her friend got the way my luck has been running.

Bodia77

Maybe she can give some $$$ to her friend. She might have brought the luck. Wink congratulations

Raven62's avatarRaven62

Maybe her Pupil will turnaround and repest the Lesson and Win $1,000,000 too!

Coin Toss's avatarCoin Toss

Good for her!

Anyone doubt luck?

Lep

msharkey2001's avatarmsharkey2001

Wow! "Merry" Christmas!Noel

Tatototman65's avatarTatototman65

Congrats!!!

Smile

rcbbuckeye's avatarrcbbuckeye

Quote: Originally posted by Coin Toss on Mar 22, 2017

Good for her!

Anyone doubt luck?

Lep

As Frank used to sing....

"Luck, be a lady tonight"

mypiemaster's avatarmypiemaster

It will be a Merry Xmas for Merry Thomas. Always nice to help educate other people. Congrats.

End of comments
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