$1 Million Awarded To Haymarket Man By Virginia Lottery
$5,000 Welcome Bonus
HAYMARKET, VA — Jeff Rowland, a man from Haymarket, had a win-win decision to make. He had to choose between $1,000 per week for the rest of his life, or a one-time payout of $1 million from the Virginia Lottery.
Rowland chose to receive the $1 million payment, the Virginia Lottery announced. Rowland was the lucky winner of the Virginia Lottery's Cash4Life game.
Rowland matched the first five numbers winning numbers in a drawing held on Wednesday, July 7. He didn't even need to leave his house to purchase a ticket; Rowland played the game online.
"I couldn't believe what I was seeing," Rowland told lottery officials as he claimed his prize earlier this month. Rowland matched all of the winning numbers except for the cash ball.
The top prize in the Cash4Life game is $1,000 per day for the life of the winner. The second prize, which Rowland won, allows recipients to choose between $1,000 per week or a one-time payout.
Rowland, who is an IT specialist, said he selected the winning numbers by using a combination of family dates and figures. He told lottery officials that he would put his winnings toward his retirement.
The Cash4Life game is played in Virginia, Florida, Georgia, Indiana, Maryland, Missouri, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania and Tennessee. Drawings are held on a nightly basis, and the odds of winning the top prize are 1 in 21.8 million.
