How many times can a person be lucky in one day? For William Newell of Alexandria, Virginia, 20 times seems to be about right. He purchased 20 identical lottery tickets, and they were all big winners.
Newell usually purchases tickets for the Virginia Lottery’s Pick 4 game at a store near his home. However, he decided to try playing online. So, he went to the Lottery’s website, valottery.com.
Newell bought 20 tickets, all for the same drawing and all with the same four-digit combination: 5-4-1-1. As luck would have it, those exact numbers were drawn for the Pick 4 game on Oct. 23.
Unlike many lottery games where the winners split the cash prize, the Virginia Lottery Pick 4 game has a set prize amount.
“Every ticket that wins the top prize receives the full prize amount,” Virginia Lottery spokesperson John Hagerty explained to Newsweek.
A week after he purchased them, Newell found out that he won $5,000 per ticket. His total prize money amounted to $100,000.
The retiree told Virginia Lottery officials that he had no immediate plans for his winnings, but he was pleased with the win.
“It feels good, no doubt about it!” he told Virginia Lottery officials.
The Virginia Lottery began selling lottery tickets online in July of 2020. Since that time, 213,000 individuals who purchased tickets online have won more than $1 billion in prizes.
“Virginians have really taken to the convenience of playing the lottery from their smartphones, tablets or computers,” Virginia Lottery executive director Kevin Hall told WSET. “The lottery is constantly looking for innovative and convenient ways to meet customer expectations, while also providing lots of opportunities for our players to imagine the possibilities of a winning moment.”
Many other states allow lottery players to purchase tickets online, as well. There are also third-party services, such as Jackpocket and The Lotter, that let people buy lottery tickets from an app or website. However, these services are only available in states where they have the permission of local regulators.
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