Chesapeake man stuns himself with $100K Powerball win using family dates
CHESAPEAKE, VA — A routine trip to a local 7-Eleven turned into a six-figure windfall for Junius Nixon, who matched four numbers plus the Powerball in the July 12 drawing — then doubled his prize to $100,000 thanks to a wise extra-dollar bet.
Nixon purchased his ticket at the 7-Eleven at 1102 Portlock Road in Chesapeake. His numbers, selected using family birth dates, matched 8-16-24-33-54 and the Powerball 18. While that combination typically earns $50,000, Nixon had opted for the $1 Power Play add-on, which doubled his prize.
“I was a little stunned!” Nixon told Virginia Lottery officials when claiming his winnings. “I had to look a couple of times.” He managed to stay calm on the outside, but the win clearly made a big impact.
Powerball drawings are held every Monday, Wednesday, and Saturday at 10:59 p.m. While Nixon didn’t win the jackpot, which requires matching all six numbers — odds of 1 in 292.2 million — his win is still one of the larger secondary prize levels. The odds of winning any Powerball prize are 1 in 25.
Nixon is one of many Virginians who benefit from and contribute to the Lottery system. All profits from the Virginia Lottery go directly to support K–12 education. Chesapeake alone received more than $31.9 million in Lottery funds last fiscal year. Statewide, the Lottery generated over $901 million for public education in Fiscal Year 2025, accounting for about 10% of the state’s K–12 education budget.
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Key Points
Junius Nixon of Chesapeake won $100,000 in the July 12 Powerball drawing using family dates
His prize was doubled from $50,000 to $100,000 due to the $1 Power Play add-on