National

Lottery player scratches big prize, then shares news with his wife. ‘We got us one!’

The Christmas Eve win “feels good,” the Virginia man told lottery officials.
The Christmas Eve win “feels good,” the Virginia man told lottery officials. Virginia Lottery

A large lottery prize came as a big surprise to a Virginia carpenter and his wife, according to lottery officials.

James Jones III made a stop at a Raceway in Carrollton on Christmas Eve and decided to purchase a lottery ticket, according to a Feb. 7 Virginia Lottery news release. When he scratched off his ticket, he saw he won a top prize, lottery officials said.

Jones realized he had won $125,000, according to lottery officials. He immediately shared the news with his wife, lottery officials said.

“We got us one!” the Hampton resident said to his wife, per lottery officials.

Jones’ win marked the fourth top prize won with the Holiday Cash 20X lottery ticket, according to lottery officials. There was one more $125,000 prize unclaimed as of Feb. 7.

“When you do win something, it feels good!” Jones said in the release.

Jones told lottery officials he plans to use his big prize to make investments.

Carrollton is about 25 miles northwest of Norfolk and Hampton is about 15 miles northeast of Carrollton.

Many people can gamble or play games of chance without harm. However, for some, gambling is an addiction that can ruin lives and families.

If you or a loved one shows signs of gambling addiction, you can seek help by calling the national gambling hotline at 1-800-522-4700 or visiting the National Council on Problem Gambling website.

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Makiya Seminera
mcclatchy-newsroom
Makiya Seminera is a national real-time reporter for McClatchy News. She graduated from the University of Florida in May 2023. She previously was a politics reporting intern at The News & Observer in Raleigh, North Carolina, and The State in Columbia, South Carolina. She also served as editor-in-chief of UF’s student-run newspaper The Independent Florida Alligator in 2022.
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