VIRGINIA, USA — A Virginia man thought he had won a $600 lottery prize, only to realize he actually won $1 million.
Jose Flores Velasquez bought a "20X the Money" scratch-off lottery ticket while picking up a pack of soft drinks at the Safeway on Little River Turnpike in Annandale, Virginia.
Velasquez went to the Virginia Lottery's customer service center in Woodbridge, happy to redeem what he thought was a $600 winning ticket. However, Lottery staffers looked at the ticket and quickly discovered the ticket was worth more - $1 million, according to the Virginia Lottery.
He had the option of taking the full $1 million prize over 30 years or a one-time cash option of $759,878 before taxes. He opted for the one-time crash option.
According to Virginia Lottery, Velasquez is the second top prize winner in the latest version of 20X the Money, which means one top prize remains unclaimed. The lottery said the chances of winning the top prize are 1 in 1.754 million.
The grocery store where Velasquez bought the ticket received a $10,000 bonus from Virginia Lottery for selling the winning ticket, Virginia Lottery said on its website.
Velasquez said he plans to use his winnings to take care of his family and possibly start his own business.
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