Lottery player checks winning VA ticket 5 times. ‘These numbers are not real’
Harry White of Richmond, Virginia, considers himself “just an ordinary guy.”
The series of events that led him to a major win wasn’t full of superstitions or flare, according to a Sept. 24 news release from the Virginia Lottery.
White bought a single Cash 5 with EZ Match ticket at a Quick N Easy in Richmond. He didn’t use any lucky numbers, instead letting the computer choose numbers at random.
White checked the winning numbers after the Aug. 29 drawing and realized all five of his numbers matched.
The odds of that happening are 1 in 1,221,759, according to lottery officials — a very out of the ordinary occurrence, by definition.
“I looked at it and said, ‘These numbers are not real,’” he told Lottery officials. “I checked them five times, and then they did become real!” White said.
White won the game’s $697,706 jackpot with the numbers 5, 15, 33, 37, and 45, according to the release.
Lottery officials said all Virginia Lottery profits go to K-12 education in the state.
“In fiscal year 2025, the Lottery raised more than $901 million for K-12 education, making up approximately 10 percent of Virginia’s total K-12 school budget,” according to the release.
