STAFFORD, Va. — A last-minute change of heart at a Wawa store led Ervin Antonio Torres to a $3 million payday after purchasing the final top prize-winning ticket in the Virginia Lottery’s “50X the Money” scratch game.
Torres was about to choose a different game when he opted for the $30 ticket at the lottery machine inside the Wawa at 1172 Garrisonville Road. That decision delivered the last of four $3 million top prizes in the now-closed game.
He selected the one-time cash payout of $1,875,000 before taxes rather than the full prize paid in annual installments over 30 years. As per Virginia Lottery policy, the game — officially listed as #2148 — has now ended since all top prizes have been claimed.
The odds of winning the top prize in “50X the Money” were 1 in 1,836,000. The overall odds of winning any prize in the game were 1 in 3.03.
The Wawa location where the ticket was sold will receive a $10,000 bonus from the Lottery.
Virginia Lottery prize adds to local education funding
The Virginia Lottery reports that all profits are directed toward K-12 education. Stafford County, where the winning ticket was purchased, received over $18.4 million in Lottery proceeds last fiscal year.
In Fiscal Year 2024, the Virginia Lottery raised more than $934 million for public education statewide, representing around 10% of Virginia’s total K-12 school budget.
Torres’ win concludes one of the Lottery’s most popular scratch games, closing out with its fourth and final multimillion-dollar winner.
