Virginia man scores $100K Mega Millions win after online ticket surprise
MONTGOMERY COUNTY, Va. — A Virginia man landed a $100,000 Mega Millions prize after buying a ticket online and later receiving a message from the Virginia Lottery confirming the big win.
Gordon Saylors purchased the ticket for the Feb. 24 Mega Millions drawing using the Easy Pick option, allowing the computer to randomly select his numbers.
After the drawing, Saylors initially assumed he had not won because his partner’s ticket did not match any numbers. Later, he received a notification from the Virginia Lottery informing him that his ticket had earned a $100,000 prize.
The winning numbers for the Feb. 24 drawing were 12, 39, 43, 49 and 55, with Mega Ball 23.
Lottery officials said Saylors matched four of the first five numbers plus the Mega Ball. The prize for that combination is normally $10,000, but a 10X multiplier on the ticket boosted the total to $100,000.
Saylors, who works as a lab assistant, said he hopes to use the winnings to buy a house or some land.
Mega Millions drawings are held Tuesday and Friday nights at 11 p.m. The odds of matching the first five numbers are 1 in 12,629,232, while the odds of matching all six numbers to win the jackpot are 1 in 290,472,336.
Virginia Lottery profits support public education across the state. In the last fiscal year, Montgomery County schools received more than $6.5 million in lottery funds as part of more than $901 million raised statewide for K-12 education.
Key Points
• Virginia man wins $100,000 playing Mega Millions online
• Gordon Saylors matched four numbers plus the Mega Ball
• 10X multiplier boosted the prize from $10,000 to $100,000