Lucky haymarket woman gets $10 million lottery ticket as valentine's day gift from husband

HAYMARKET, VIRGINIA – Some women receive flowers from their husbands on Valentine’s Day. Some get candy. Maria Chicas received a $10 million winning Virginia Lottery ticket from her husband.

Ms. Chicas, a stay-at-home mom from Haymarket, claimed the fourth and final top prize in the Extreme Millions Scratcher game.

“I thought he was joking!” she told Lottery officials as she validated the winning ticket.

It all happened a few days before Valentine’s Day, when her husband bought the ticket at In & Out Mart, located at 9103 Mathis Avenue in Manassas. He scratched the ticket and realized it was a winner. That’s when he called his wife.

“Aw, you’re lying!” was her reaction.

Ms. Chicas had the choice of taking the full $10 million over 30 years or a one-time cash option of $6,570,302 before taxes. She chose the cash option. The store receives a $50,000 bonus from the Virginia Lottery for selling the winning ticket.

Because this was the final available top prize in Extreme Millions, the game is being closed. It is the Virginia Lottery’s policy to end scratcher games after the last top prize is claimed. The odds of winning that top prize in Extreme Millions were 1 in 2,937,600.

Authorized by Virginia voters in a successful 1987 referendum, the Virginia Lottery generates more than $2 million per day for Virginia’s K-12 public schools. In the fiscal year ending June 30, 2021, lottery customers helped generate more than $765 million in funding for public education. For more information, visit the Virginia Lottery’s Giving Back page, visit our website, like us on Facebook, follow us on Twitter and Instagram, and check us out on YouTube. With all gaming, please remember to play responsibly.

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