A Virginia man thought he had won a $600 prize in the state’s lottery, only to realize he actually won $1 million.
Jose Flores Velasquez bought a “20X the Money” scratch-off lottery ticket while picking up soft drinks at a gas station after work. He played the ticket and thought he had won $600, the Virginia Lottery announced last week.
Velasquez went to Virginia Lottery’s customer service center to cash in the ticket. When he gave it to lottery staff, they noticed the ticket was worth the $1 million grand prize, according to the Virginia Lottery. .
The Virginia Lottery said there are three $1 million winners in the scratch-off, and the chances of winning it are about 1 in 1.754 million. Velasquez opted for a one-time cash payout of $759,878, before taxes, according to the lottery.
The store Velasquez bought the ticket from received a $10,000 bonus from the Virginia Lottery for selling the winning ticket, according to the lottery.
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Velasquez said he plans to use his winnings “to take care of his family and possibly start his own business,” the lottery said on its website.
Jose Rolando Gramajo Rodas is another recent lottery winner in Virginia who took home more cash than he expected after playing a scratch-off. Rodas won $200,000 playing a different scratch-off game, the Virginia Lottery announced last week — he thought he won $20,000.
Follow Jordan Mendoza on Twitter: @jordan_mendoza5.