AMHERST, Va. (WFXR) — Amherst business owner, Josh Orme, has become the first person ever in this Virginia Lottery game’s history to claim the maximum prize of $5 million dollars.
Virginia Lottery says that the chances of winning any prize in this particular game are 1 in 3.43. But the chances of winning the top prize? Those are calculated to be 1 in 2,774,400.
Orme was given the choice of taking his winnings as annual payments over 30 years or a one-time cash option of $3,125,000. Orme chose the annual payment option.
But, Orme is not the the only winner of this story. The store that sold the winning ticket, Sardis Grocery Store off of Lexington Turnpike, will receive a $10,000 bonus from the Virginia Lottery.
“It’s really surreal. I’m in a state of shock,” he told Lottery officials as he claimed his prize. Orme, a business owner, said he has no immediate plans for his winnings except to pay bills and save for retirement.
All Virginia Lottery profits go to K-12 education in Virginia. Virginia Lottery shared that more than $4.2 million in Lottery funds went toward Amherst County K-12 education last year.
