Bedford County man wins $1 million prize in In the Money

An anonymous winner claimed a $1,000,000 prize he won in the In the Money game. He purchased the ticket at the Sheetz at 2630 Lakeside Drive in Lynchburg and took it home to scratch it. The Bedford County man wasn’t sure what the letters on the ticket meant but soon realized he had won the $1,000,000 top prize.

The winner chose to remain anonymous. Virginia law permits any winner of a Virginia Lottery prize to claim it anonymously, in which case the Lottery does not publicly disclose the winner’s identity. 

In the Money is one of dozens of scratcher games offered by the Virginia Lottery. It features prizes ranging from $50 up to $1,000,000. This is the second top prize claimed in the game, which means one more remains unclaimed. The chances of winning the top prize are 1 in 408,000. The odds of winning any prize in this game are 1 in 3.5.

The man had the option of taking the full $1 million prize over 30 years or a one-time cash option of $476,000 before taxes. He chose the cash option.

All Virginia Lottery profits go to K-12 education in Virginia. The ticket was bought in Lynchburg City, which received more than $8.8 million in Lottery funds for K-12 education last fiscal year. In Fiscal Year 2026, the Lottery raised more than $914 million for K-12 education, making up approximately 10 percent of Virginia’s total K-12 school budget. 

For a complete list of Lottery funds distributed to Virginia school districts, visit the Virginia Lottery’s Giving Back page. For general information or to play games online, visit the Virginia Lottery’s website or download the Lottery’s app. Connect with the Lottery on Facebook, X, Instagram, or YouTube. 

With all gaming, please play responsibly. If you think you or someone you know has a gambling problem, help may be just a phone call away: The Virginia Problem Gambling Helpline, 888-532-3500. Call, text or chat 24/7.