Lottery player sees his huge Virginia prize — then his ‘heart about stopped’
George Cole had been keeping an eye on the growing jackpot in the Virginia Lottery’s The Lamp game.
As he lay in bed before starting his day, he decided it was finally time to try his hand at winning the record-setting prize, he told lottery officials, according to a June 7 news release.
“Somebody’s got to win it. It might as well be me,” Cole thought as he played that morning, he told officials.
The game’s prize had grown to the largest online prize since the Virginia Lottery began online play in 2020, according to officials.
When Cole saw his prize, he was shocked. He won the $886,819 jackpot, officials said.
“My heart about stopped when I realized I’d won!” Cole said.
The winner said he doesn’t have immediate plans for his prize, but he will pay bills with his winnings.
Cole lives in Tazewell County, which is about 300 miles southwest of Richmond.
This story was originally published June 7, 2023 at 4:02 PM with the headline "Lottery player sees his huge Virginia prize — then his ‘heart about stopped’."
