Winners & News

“I told my wife I won some money!”

That’s the first thing Jerry Phillips did when he discovered he’d matched all five winning numbers in the Virginia Lottery’s Cash 5 with EZ Match game. The Williamsburg man won a $265,000 jackpot.

Mr. Phillips bought his ticket online from the Virginia Lottery. The Virginia Lottery gives players the opportunity to play popular games, such as Powerball, Mega Millions, Cash4Life, Pick 3, Pick 4, Pick 5 and Cash 5 with EZ Match, online. 

Players can purchase tickets through either the Virginia Lottery app or on the Lottery’s website, valottery.com. Players must be at least 18 years of age and physically located in Virginia.

The winning numbers that Mr. Phillips matched in the April 25 drawing were 8-13-18-25-39. He said he has no immediate plans for the winnings except to travel.

Cash 5 with EZ Match features a rolling jackpot starting at a minimum of $200,000. The odds of matching all five numbers to win the jackpot are 1 in 1,221,759.

All Virginia Lottery profits go to K-12 education in Virginia. Mr. Phillips lives in James City County, which received more than $4.8 million in Lottery funds for K-12 education last fiscal year. In Fiscal Year 2024, the Lottery raised more than $934 million for K-12 education, making up approximately 10 percent of Virginia’s total K-12 school budget. 

For a complete list of Lottery funds distributed to Virginia school districts, visit the Virginia Lottery’s Giving Back page. For general information or to play games online, visit the Virginia Lottery’s website or download the Lottery’s app. Connect with the Lottery on Facebook, X, Instagram, or YouTube. 

With all gaming, please play responsibly.

Ervin Antonio Torres was about to make his selection as he stood in front of the Virginia Lottery game machine.

“I was about to pick a different ticket, but something told me to pick this one. I don’t know why,” he later told Virginia Lottery officials.

So the Stafford man bought a 50X the Money ticket and ended up winning the game’s $3 million top prize.

“It feels unreal!” he said.

This is the fourth and final $3 million prize claimed in 50X the Money (game #2148), which means the game is now closed. It’s the Virginia Lottery’s policy to end games once the last remaining top prize is claimed. The chances of winning the $3 million top prize were 1 in 1,836,000. The chances of winning any prize in this game were 1 in 3.03. 

Mr. Torres bought his winning ticket at the Wawa at 1172 Garrisonville Road in Stafford.  He had a choice of taking the full $3 million prize in annual payments over 30 years, before taxes, or a one-time cash option of $1,875,000 before taxes. He chose the cash option. He’s not the only winner. The store receives a $10,000 bonus from the Virginia Lottery for selling the ticket.

All Virginia Lottery profits go to K-12 education in Virginia. The winning ticket was bought in Stafford County, which received more than $18.4 million in Lottery funds for K-12 education last fiscal year. In Fiscal Year 2024, the Lottery raised more than $934 million for K-12 education, making up approximately 10 percent of Virginia’s total K-12 school budget. 

For a complete list of Lottery funds distributed to Virginia school districts, visit the Virginia Lottery’s Giving Back page. For general information or to play games online, visit the Virginia Lottery’s website or download the Lottery’s app. Connect with the Lottery on Facebook, X, Instagram, or YouTube. 

With all gaming, please play responsibly.

When Melanie Peery saw that she’d just won a $171,381 jackpot in the Virginia Lottery’s Virginia Bonus Wheel online game, she couldn’t believe her eyes.

“I’m seeing things! I’m hallucinating!” was her immediate reaction.

The Bastian woman told Lottery officials it happened at about 3:00 a.m. when she couldn’t sleep. 

Virginia Bonus Wheel is one of dozens of online instant games available at the Virginia Lottery’s website, valottery.com, and on the Virginia Lottery mobile app. It features a progressive, growing jackpot. The odds per game of winning a prize are 1 in 2.42 to 1 in 2.41, depending on the price point.

In addition to online instant games, players can purchase Powerball, Mega Millions, Cash4Life, Pick 3, Pick 4, Pick 5 and Cash 5 with EZ Match plays online. Players must be at least 18 years of age and physically located in Virginia. 

Ms. Peery said she intends to invest her winnings. 

“I’m in shock!” she said. “This is unbelievable!”

All Virginia Lottery profits go to K-12 education in Virginia. Ms. Peery lives in Bland County, which received more than $717,000 in Lottery funds for K-12 education last fiscal year. In Fiscal Year 2024, the Lottery raised more than $934 million for K-12 education, making up approximately 10 percent of Virginia’s total K-12 school budget. 

For a complete list of Lottery funds distributed to Virginia school districts, visit the Virginia Lottery’s Giving Back page. For general information or to play games online, visit the Virginia Lottery’s website or download the Lottery’s app. Connect with the Lottery on Facebook, X, Instagram, or YouTube. 

With all gaming, please play responsibly.

Ron Simkhovitch was relaxing at home, playing the Virginia Lottery’s The Lamp: Dark Arts online game on his mobile device. The Stephenson man was in for a shock. By the time he finished playing, he’d won a jackpot worth $407,589.

“I was astonished!” he told Lottery officials. 

The Lamp: Dark Arts features a progressive, growing jackpot and can be played on the Lottery’s website, valottery.com, or on the Lottery’s mobile app. The odds per game of winning a prize are 1 in 3.85.

In addition to online instant games, players can purchase Powerball, Mega Millions, Cash4Life, Pick 3, Pick 4, Pick 5 and Cash 5 with EZ Match plays online. Players must be at least 18 years of age and physically located in Virginia. 

Mr. Simkhovitch, who is a small business owner, said he has no immediate plans for his winnings. 

All Virginia Lottery profits go to K-12 education in Virginia. Mr. Simkhovitch lives in Frederick County, which received more than $8.2 million in Lottery funds for K-12 education last fiscal year. In Fiscal Year 2024, the Lottery raised more than $934 million for K-12 education, making up approximately 10 percent of Virginia’s total K-12 school budget. 

For a complete list of Lottery funds distributed to Virginia school districts, visit the Virginia Lottery’s Giving Back page. For general information or to play games online, visit the Virginia Lottery’s website or download the Lottery’s app. Connect with the Lottery on Facebook, X, Instagram, or YouTube. 

With all gaming, please play responsibly.

Today, the Virginia Lottery released its report on casino gaming activity for the month of April 2025.  There are three operating casinos in Virginia:  Hard Rock Bristol, Rivers Casino Portsmouth, and Caesars Virginia.

During April, gaming revenues from Virginia casinos totaled $78.8 million.   Virginia law assesses a graduated tax on a casino’s AGR, or wagers minus winnings, and $14.2 million in taxes were paid to the Gaming Proceeds Fund.  

Apr-25	Hard Rock Bristol		Rivers Casino Portsmouth		Caesars Virginia		Total
	Count	AGR	Count	AGR	Count	AGR	Adjusted Gaming Revenue
Slots	1437	$17,441,287.21	1419	$18,392,207.81	1483	$23,743,276.14	$59,576,771.16
Table Games	73	$3,601,903.00	84	$6,896,729.92	100	$8,684,349.50	$19,182,982.42
Total	1510	$21,043,190.21	1503	$25,288,937.73	1583	$32,427,625.64	$78,759,753.58

 

Of the state tax on casino AGR, the statute specifies distributions to the Problem Gambling Treatment and Support Fund, the Family and Children’s Trust Fund, and the host city. For the Bristol casino, statute specifies the portion of taxes reserved for the host city go to the Regional Improvement Commission (RIC). The timing of the tax distributions varies, but the allocation of the monthly taxes from the casino activity is as follows:

 

	Hard Rock Bristol	Rivers Casino Portsmouth	Caesars Virginia	Monthly Total
Total Tax	$3,787,774.24	$4,552,008.79	$5,836,972.62	$14,176,755.65
Host City / RIC (6% of AGR)	$1,262,591.41	$1,517,336.26	$1,945,657.54	$4,725,585.21
Problem Gambling Treatment and Support Fund (0.8% of total tax)	$30,302.19	$36,416.07	$46,695.78	$113,414.04
Family and Children’s Trust Fund (0.2% of total tax)	$7,575.55	$9,104.02	$11,673.95	$28,353.52
Remaining available in the Gaming Proceeds Fund	$2,487,305.09	$2,989,152.44	$3,832,945.35	$9,309,402.88

 

About Virginia Lottery
The Virginia Lottery assumed regulatory oversight of casino gaming in the Commonwealth in 2020. Taxes generated by casino gaming will benefit priorities as determined by the General Assembly. Information about casinos, including regulations and approvals, can be viewed at www.valottery.com/aboutus/casinosandsportsbetting/casinos.

 

“I kind of didn’t believe it at first! I checked it two or three times!”

That’s how Dennis O’Donnell described to Virginia Lottery officials the moment he discovered he’d won $150,000 in the April 14 Powerball drawing. 

It happened with a ticket he bought at the Walmart in Wytheville. The Rural Retreat man selected his numbers and ended up matching five of the winning numbers: four of the first five numbers plus the Powerball number. Normally, that wins $50,000. However, he spent an extra dollar for Power Play® when he bought the ticket, which tripled the prize to $150,000.

The winning numbers were 3-20-30-52-62, and the Powerball number was 1.

Mr. O’Donnell said he intends to use his winnings to take care of his family. 

“It feels great to win!” he said as he redeemed his winning ticket.

All Virginia Lottery profits go to K-12 education in Virginia. Mr. O’Donnell lives in Wythe County, which received more than $3.9 million in Lottery funds for K-12 education last fiscal year. In Fiscal Year 2024, the Lottery raised more than $934 million for K-12 education, making up approximately 10 percent of Virginia’s total K-12 school budget. 

For a complete list of Lottery funds distributed to Virginia school districts, visit the Virginia Lottery’s Giving Back page. For general information or to play games online, visit the Virginia Lottery’s website or download the Lottery’s app. Connect with the Lottery on Facebook, X, Instagram, or YouTube. 

With all gaming, please play responsibly.

It was a Saturday morning, and Nelson Giddens was on his way to do some shopping. Along the way, the Accomack County man decided to stop at the Corner Mart in Painter and try his luck with some Virginia Lottery scratcher tickets.  

That turned out to be a $300,000 decision. 

When he scratched a King of Crossword ticket, he realized he’d just won the game’s top prize. 

“I about passed out!” he told Lottery officials. 

King of Crossword is one of dozens of scratcher games offered by the Virginia Lottery. It features prizes ranging from $10 up to that $300,000 top prize. This is the first top prize claimed in the game, which means two more are unclaimed. The chances of winning the top prize are 1 in 979,200. The chances of winning any prize in this game are 1 in 3.69.

All Virginia Lottery profits go to K-12 education in Virginia. Mr. Giddens lives in Accomack County, which received more than $7.6 million in Lottery funds for K-12 education last fiscal year. In Fiscal Year 2024, the Lottery raised more than $934 million for K-12 education, making up approximately 10 percent of Virginia’s total K-12 school budget. 

For a complete list of Lottery funds distributed to Virginia school districts, visit the Virginia Lottery’s Giving Back page. For general information or to play games online, visit the Virginia Lottery’s website or download the Lottery’s app. Connect with the Lottery on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, or YouTube. 

With all gaming, please play responsibly.

The Virginia Lottery today released its report on sports wagering activity submitted by licensed operators for the month of March 2025. 

Between March 1 and March 31, 2025, Virginians wagered $689,665,044 (“handle”), 8.5% higher than last March.  A complete list of all approved operators can be found here, under the “approvals” tab.  For March, fourteen mobile operators and three casinos were authorized to accept wagers in Virginia.

Virginia bettors won a total of $638,986,760 for a combined 7.35% operators win percentage (“hold”). 

State law places a 15% tax on sports betting activity based on each permit holder’s adjusted gross revenue (AGR), which is defined as total wagers minus total winnings and other authorized deductions.

 

 

Of the state tax on sports betting AGR, the statute specifies 97.5 percent is to be deposited in the state’s General Fund and 2.5 percent is to be deposited into the Problem Gambling Treatment and Support Fund administered by the Virginia Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Services. 

Eleven operators reported net positive AGR for March, leading to $6.8 million in tax payments for the month:

 

 

About Virginia Lottery
The Virginia Lottery is responsible for the regulation of sports wagering in the Commonwealth of Virginia.  Monthly financial reports and other important information about legal sports wagering is posted at www.valottery.com/casinosandsportsbetting. 

Somewhere there is a ticket from Tuesday night’s Mega Millions drawing that is now worth $2 million. The ticket was bought at Chester Food Mart, located at 2720 West Hundred Road in Chester. 

The winning numbers for the April 29 drawing were 16-33-40-51-57, and the Mega Ball number was 10. This ticket matched the first five numbers and missed only the Mega Ball number. 

The base prize amount for matching the first five numbers in Mega Millions is $1 million. However, each Mega Millions play now contains a Multiplier, randomly assigned at purchase. The multiplier on this particular play was 2X, which doubles the prize to $2 million.

Whoever has the winning ticket has 180 days from the drawing date to claim the prize. The Virginia Lottery advises that before doing anything else, the winner should immediately sign the back of the ticket to establish ownership. When the person is ready to claim the million-dollar prize, he or she should contact the Virginia Lottery.

This is the only ticket in the nation that matched the first five numbers in Tuesday’s drawing. No ticket matched all six numbers to win the jackpot, so the jackpot for the Friday, May 2, drawing grows to an estimated $80 million.

Mega Millions drawings are held Tuesday and Friday nights at 11:00. Drawings are streamed live at www.valottery.com. The odds of winning the $1,000,000 prize in Mega Millions are 1 in 12,629,232.

All Virginia Lottery profits go to K-12 education in Virginia. The ticket was bought in Chesterfield County, which received more than $39.8 million in Lottery funds for K-12 education last fiscal year. In Fiscal Year 2024, the Lottery raised more than $934 million for K-12 education, making up approximately 10 percent of Virginia’s total K-12 school budget. 

For a complete list of Lottery funds distributed to Virginia school districts, visit the Virginia Lottery’s Giving Back page. For general information or to play games online, visit the Virginia Lottery’s website or download the Lottery’s app. Connect with the Lottery on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, or YouTube. 

With all gaming, please play responsibly.

Check your tickets! Someone is in danger of throwing away a $1 million Virginia Lottery prize. 

A Mega Millions ticket won $1 million in the November 22, 2024, drawing. Since then, no one has come forward with that winning ticket to claim the prize. 

By law, winning tickets in Virginia expire 180 days after the drawing. That means the ticket will become worthless at 5:00 p.m. (close of business) on Wednesday, May 21.

The ticket was bought at the 7-Eleven at 16624 General Puller Highway in Deltaville. 

The winning numbers for that drawing were 13-20-26-32-65, and the Mega Ball number was 2. This ticket matched the first five numbers and missed only the Mega Ball number. 

Unclaimed prizes, by law, go to Virginia’s Literary Fund, which provides low-interest loans to localities for public school construction, renovations and technology upgrades.

Whoever has the winning ticket should contact the Virginia Lottery immediately. The Lottery has eight customer service centers across Virginia where the ticket can be redeemed.

All Virginia Lottery profits go to K-12 education in Virginia. This ticket was bought in Middlesex County, which received more than $722,000 in Lottery funds for K-12 education last fiscal year. In Fiscal Year 2024, the Lottery raised more than $934 million for K-12 education, making up approximately 10 percent of Virginia’s total K-12 school budget. 

For a complete list of Lottery funds distributed to Virginia school districts, visit the Virginia Lottery’s Giving Back page. For general information or to play games online, visit the Virginia Lottery’s website or download the Lottery’s app. Connect with the Lottery on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, or YouTube. 

With all gaming, please play responsibly.

Today, the Virginia Lottery released its report on casino gaming activity for the month of March 2025.  There are three operating casinos in Virginia:  Hard Rock Bristol, Rivers Casino Portsmouth, and Caesars Virginia.

 

During March, gaming revenues from Virginia casinos totaled $85.2 million.  Virginia law assesses a graduated tax on a casino’s AGR, or wagers minus winnings, and $15.3 million in taxes were paid to the Gaming Proceeds Fund.

 

Mar-25	Hard Rock Bristol		Rivers Casino Portsmouth		Caesars Virginia		Total
	Count	AGR	Count	AGR	Count	AGR	Adjusted Gaming Revenue
Slots	1444	$17,345,311.22	1423	$19,899,575.24	1479	$26,023,314.43	$63,268,200.89
Table Games	73	$3,981,804.25	84	$7,979,302.45	100	$9,962,293.75	$21,923,400.45
Total	1517	$21,327,115.47	1507	$27,878,877.69	1579	$35,985,608.18	$85,191,601.34

 

Of the state tax on casino AGR, the statute specifies distributions to the Problem Gambling Treatment and Support Fund, the Family and Children’s Trust Fund, and the host city. For the Bristol casino, statute specifies the portion of taxes reserved for the host city go to the Regional Improvement Commission (RIC). The timing of the tax distributions varies, but the allocation of the monthly taxes from the casino activity is as follows:

 

	Hard Rock Bristol	Rivers Casino Portsmouth	Caesars Virginia	Monthly Total
Total Tax	$3,838,880.78	$5,018,197.98	$6,477,409.47	$15,334,488.23
Host City / RIC (6% of AGR)	$1,279,626.93	$1,672,732.66	$2,159,136.49	$5,111,496.08
Problem Gambling Treatment and Support Fund (0.8% of total tax)	$30,711.05	$40,145.58	$51,819.28	$122,675.91
Family and Children’s Trust Fund (0.2% of total tax)	$7,677.76	$10,036.40	$12,954.82	$30,668.98
Remaining available in the Gaming Proceeds Fund	$2,520,865.04	$3,295,283.34	$4,253,498.88	$10,069,647.26

 

 

About Virginia Lottery

The Virginia Lottery assumed regulatory oversight of casino gaming in the Commonwealth in 2020. Taxes generated by casino gaming will benefit priorities as determined by the General Assembly. Information about casinos, including regulations and approvals, can be viewed at www.valottery.com/aboutus/casinosandsportsbetting/casinos.

“I just hit the floor! My knees collapsed!”

That’s how Sharon Godsey described to Virginia Lottery officials the moment she realized she’d won $100,000 in the March 31 Powerball drawing.

This isn’t the first time the Concord woman has won $100,000 playing the Virginia Lottery. In 2013, she won the $100,000 top prize in the Sapphire Riches scratcher game.

Her latest win came when she bought a ticket at Carson Market, located at 10060 Village Highway in Concord. She ended up matching four of the first five numbers plus the Powerball number. Normally, that wins $50,000. However, she spent an extra dollar for Power Play® when she bought the ticket, which doubled the prize to $100,000.

The winning numbers were 12-41-44-52-64, and the Powerball number was 25. She selected the numbers on her ticket using a combination of some of her favorite numbers. 

Powerball drawings are held at 10:59 p.m. Mondays, Wednesdays and Saturdays. The odds of matching all six numbers to win the jackpot are 1 in 292.2 million. The overall odds of winning any Powerball prize are 1 in 25. For more information on Powerball, visit the game’s site.   

All Virginia Lottery profits go to K-12 education in Virginia. Ms. Godsey lives in Campbell County, which received more than $8 million in Lottery funds for K-12 education last fiscal year. In Fiscal Year 2024, the Lottery raised more than $934 million for K-12 education, making up approximately 10 percent of Virginia’s total K-12 school budget. 

For a complete list of Lottery funds distributed to Virginia school districts, visit the Virginia Lottery’s Giving Back page. For general information or to play games online, visit the Virginia Lottery’s website or download the Lottery’s app. Connect with the Lottery on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, or YouTube. 

With all gaming, please play responsibly.

Truck driver Patrick Golz was on his regular route driving through Virginia. He stopped for gas at the Love’s Travel Stop in Lambsburg, just off I-77. While he was there, he bought a pair of $1,000,000 Gold Rush tickets from the Virginia Lottery.

When he scratched the second ticket, he discovered he’d won the game’s $1 million top prize. 

“You never think you’re going to hit the big one!” he told Virginia Lottery officials.

This is the second top prize claimed in the $1,000,000 Gold Rush game, which means three more top prizes remain unclaimed. The game features prizes ranging from $75 to $1 million. The odds of winning the top prize in this game are 1 in 734,400. The odds of winning any prize in this game are 1 in 3.55.

Mr. Golz, who is from Wild Rose, Wisconsin, said he plans to invest his winnings. He had the choice of taking the full $1 million prize in annual payments over 30 years or a one-time cash option of $500,000 before taxes. He chose the annuity. In addition, Love’s receives a $10,000 bonus from the Lottery for selling the winning ticket. 

All Virginia Lottery profits go to K-12 education in Virginia. The winning ticket was bought in Carroll County, which received more than $4.2 million in Lottery funds for K-12 education last fiscal year. In Fiscal Year 2024, the Lottery raised more than $934 million for K-12 education, making up approximately 10 percent of Virginia’s total K-12 school budget. 

For a complete list of Lottery funds distributed to Virginia school districts, visit the Virginia Lottery’s Giving Back page. For general information or to play games online, visit the Virginia Lottery’s website or download the Lottery’s app. Connect with the Lottery on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, or YouTube. 

With all gaming, please play responsibly.

Waiting at the airport to board a flight can be pretty boring, but don’t tell that to Margaret Williams. 

The Chesterfield woman was sitting at the gate at Richmond International Airport waiting for her flight to Atlanta to start boarding, so she went online with her phone and started playing the Virginia Lottery’s The Lamp game. She ended up winning a $133,287 jackpot.

“I couldn’t scream because I was in an airport!” she later told Lottery officials.

The Lamp is one of dozens of online games available on the Virginia Lottery’s mobile app and at valottery.com. It features a progressive, growing jackpot. The odds per game of winning a prize are 1 in 3.55.

In addition to online instant games, players can purchase Powerball, Mega Millions, Cash4Life, Pick 3, Pick 4, Pick 5 and Cash 5 with EZ Match plays online. Players must be at least 18 years of age and physically located in Virginia. 

All Virginia Lottery profits go to K-12 education in Virginia. Ms. Williams lives in Chesterfield County, which received more than $39.8 million in Lottery funds for K-12 education last fiscal year. In Fiscal Year 2024, the Lottery raised more than $934 million for K-12 education, making up approximately 10 percent of Virginia’s total K-12 school budget. 

For a complete list of Lottery funds distributed to Virginia school districts, visit the Virginia Lottery’s Giving Back page. For general information or to play games online, visit the Virginia Lottery’s website or download the Lottery’s app. Connect with the Lottery on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, or YouTube. 

With all gaming, please play responsibly.

As Sadie Butler checked the winning numbers from the March 26 Powerball drawing, she suddenly thought to herself, “Those numbers look familiar!”

As she looked more closely, the Carrollton woman realized she’d matched a total of five of the winning numbers. 

“My heart just dropped!” she later told Virginia Lottery officials.

The winning numbers were 5-20-29-39-53, and the Powerball number was 6. Ms. Butler matched four of the first five numbers plus the Powerball number. Normally, that wins $50,000. However, she spent an extra dollar for Power Play® when she bought the ticket, which tripled the prize to $150,000.

She selected her numbers using a combination of favorite numbers. She said she has no immediate plans for her winnings except to pay bills.

Powerball drawings are held at 10:59 p.m. Mondays, Wednesdays and Saturdays. The odds of matching all six numbers to win the jackpot are 1 in 292.2 million. The overall odds of winning any Powerball prize are 1 in 25. For more information on Powerball, visit the game’s site.   

All Virginia Lottery profits go to K-12 education in Virginia. Ms. Butler lives in Isle of Wight County, which received more than $3.7 million in Lottery funds for K-12 education last fiscal year. In Fiscal Year 2024, the Lottery raised more than $934 million for K-12 education, making up approximately 10 percent of Virginia’s total K-12 school budget. 

For a complete list of Lottery funds distributed to Virginia school districts, visit the Virginia Lottery’s Giving Back page. For general information or to play games online, visit the Virginia Lottery’s website or download the Lottery’s app. Connect with the Lottery on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, or YouTube. 

With all gaming, please play responsibly.