She had to go back to work and pretend nothing happened

Norfolk, VA — A Portsmouth woman having a rough day saw everything change during her lunch break when a Virginia Lottery scratch-off revealed a $2 million top prize.

The woman, who chose to remain anonymous, bought a Platinum 7s ticket at Love Food Mart, located at 298 W. Bay Avenue in Norfolk.

She scratched the ticket inside the store and realized she had just won the game’s top prize.

Winner had to return to work

The timing created an almost surreal problem.

“I had to go back to work and act like nothing happened!” she told Virginia Lottery officials.

The winner had the choice of taking the full $2 million prize over 30 years or selecting a one-time cash option of $952,000 before taxes.

She chose the cash option.

First top prize claimed in the game

The win was the first $2 million top prize claimed in Platinum 7s, according to the Virginia Lottery.

Two top prizes remain unclaimed.

The odds of winning the $2 million top prize are 1 in 408,000, while the overall odds of winning any prize are 1 in 3.48.

Players can review game details through the Virginia Lottery Platinum 7s page and learn more about Virginia’s winner privacy law through the Code of Virginia.

More lottery coverage can be found through Shore News Network’s Virginia and Lottery pages.

Key Points

• A Portsmouth woman won a $2 million top prize on a Platinum 7s scratch-off.
• She bought the ticket during a stressful lunch break at Love Food Mart in Norfolk.
• She chose the one-time cash option of $952,000 before taxes.