Teacher’s birthday surprise turns into $986K jackpot shocker
Fairfax County, VA – What began as a birthday gesture during a walk turned into a six-figure surprise when a Fairfax County teacher revealed to his wife that a Virginia Lottery game had delivered a $986,399 jackpot in her name.
The anonymous winner said he purchased a ticket for The Lamp: Dark Arts online instant game on his wife’s birthday, later sharing the news in an unexpected way. During a walk together, he told her he had a gift, then showed her proof of the prize.
He sent a photo of the winning screen, but the reaction was disbelief. The winner said his wife initially thought the image was not real, while he described the moment as life changing.
The Lamp: Dark Arts is part of the Virginia Lottery’s online instant games, accessible through its mobile app and website. The progressive jackpot increases as more players participate. The odds of winning any prize in the game are 1 in 3.85.
Virginia Lottery players can also purchase draw game tickets online, including Powerball, Mega Millions, Millionaire for Life, Pick 3, Pick 4, Pick 5, and Cash 5 with EZ Match. Players must be at least 18 years old and physically located within Virginia to participate.
Lottery proceeds contribute to public education funding across the state. Fairfax County received more than $56 million in Lottery funds for K-12 education during the last fiscal year. In Fiscal Year 2025, the Virginia Lottery generated more than $901 million for K-12 education, accounting for about 10 percent of the state’s total K-12 school budget.
Officials continue to advise players to participate responsibly, with resources available through the Virginia Problem Gambling Helpline.
━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━
Key Points
- Fairfax County teacher wins $986,399 jackpot from online instant game
- Winner revealed surprise to wife during birthday walk