Dogs 'looked at me like I was crazy' – as plumber wins half a million dollars on lottery scratchers
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As Chesapeake resident Robert Lane returned from work to feed his four-legged friends, his usual stop at the local 7-Eleven for a quick drink turned into an unexpected fortune.
Along with his beverage, Lane decided to try his luck with a couple of Precious Gems Series scratcher tickets from the Virginia Lottery.
It was a decision that would soon prove to be life-changing.
Standing near his dog pens, Lane began to scratch the ticket, only to find that he had won the staggering top prize of $500,000.
With no one around to share the exciting moment, Robert turned to his hunting dogs–who gave him puzzled looks.
"They were looking at me like I was crazy," he shared with Virginia Lottery officials, still in disbelief over his win.
Lane, who makes his living as a plumber, purchased his golden ticket at the 7-Eleven located at 536 Kempsville Road in Chesapeake.
With his new windfall, he's considering an upgrade to a new vehicle.
The Precious Gems Series scratchers offer a variety of prizes, starting as low as $10 and soaring up to $500,000, with ticket themes like Sapphire, Diamond, Ruby, or Emerald.
Lane's win marks the second time the top prize has been claimed in this particular game, leaving one more major prize waiting to be found.
While the odds of winning the half-million-dollar jackpot stand at 1 in 816,000, the chances of winning any prize are much more favorable, at about 1 in 3.83.
Virginia benefits
It's not just winners like Lane who benefit from the Virginia Lottery. The proceeds are a boon to education, with Chesapeake schools receiving over $27.2 million last year alone.
Overall, the Lottery contributed an impressive $867 million to the state's K-12 education for Fiscal Year 2023, making up about 10 percent of the total budget for Virginia's schools.
Curious to see how Lottery funds are supporting education in your district? You can find a detailed breakdown on the Virginia Lottery's Giving Back page.
For more information, to play games, or to download the app, visit the Virginia Lottery's website. Stay connected and join the fun on their social media pages, including Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and YouTube.
Who knows? The next big winner could be you!
