Virginia: A man who casually joked about winning lottery won a $1 million (Rs 8.1 crore) jackpot. George Hurt, a resident of Roanoke, Virginia was visiting the 604 Minute Market on Cloverdale Road with two coworkers during his lunch break when he joked about winning the jackpot. Little did he know, he was about to win the top prize in the Virginia Lottery scratch-off game.
Against the odds of more than one in 600,000, Hurt purchased four scratch-off tickets, and one of them — a Virginia Millions ticket — had the $1 million prize. Hurt has been playing the lottery for 13 years. This win was a remarkable twist of fate. As he put it, this is “proof that prayers do get answered.”
Man jokes about winning lottery wins $1 million
Hurt opted to take his winnings as a one-time lumpsum payment of $571,000 before taxes. He hasn’t yet shared any immediate plans for how he will use the money.
The owner of 604 Minute Market, Timir Patel, was thrilled to sell the winning ticket. He received $10,000 for selling the jackpot-winning ticket.
He said that this bonus will help cover the store’s expenses, making the win especially meaningful for him and his business. “It’s a big help,” Patel said. “$10,000 goes a long way for us.”
According to John Hagerty, a spokesperson for the Virginia Lottery, these bonuses often benefit the community. Small businesses like Patel’s usually reinvest the money locally, making these wins impactful for the community as well as the education system.
