Mistake pays off big as Virginia Beach woman wins $100K
VIRGINIA BEACH, VA – A simple mistake turned into a six-figure win for a Virginia Beach woman who meant to buy a Mega Millions ticket—but accidentally played Powerball instead and walked away $100,000 richer.
Rebecca Chapman intended to buy a Mega Millions ticket for the October 22 drawing, but with the jackpot soaring and games available online, she mistakenly selected Powerball. That unexpected misclick turned out to be a profitable error.
Her ticket ended up matching four of the first five white balls plus the red Powerball. Normally, that combination earns a $50,000 prize. But thanks to spending an extra dollar on Power Play®, the winnings were doubled to $100,000.
The winning numbers drawn were 18, 37, 52, 54, 60, with Powerball number 12. The ticket was purchased through the Virginia Lottery’s online platform, which also offers a wide range of digital draw and instant games.
All Virginia Lottery proceeds benefit K-12 education. In the last fiscal year, Virginia Beach received nearly $40.8 million in Lottery funding, and the Lottery contributed over $901 million statewide—about 10 percent of Virginia’s total public education budget.
Powerball drawings take place every Monday, Wednesday, and Saturday at 10:59 p.m. The odds of hitting the jackpot stand at 1 in 292.2 million, while the overall odds of winning any prize are 1 in 25.
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Key Points
- A Virginia Beach woman won $100,000 after accidentally buying a Powerball ticket instead of Mega Millions
- Her ticket matched four numbers plus the Powerball, and the Power Play option doubled the prize
- All Virginia Lottery profits go to K-12 education, with Virginia Beach receiving over $40 million last fiscal year