Spotsylvania Man Wins $500K From Virginia Lottery After Stopping For A Candy Bar

SPOTSYLVANIA COUNTY, VA — What's better than stopping at a convenience store for a candy bar? How about getting a candy bar and a $500,000 lottery ticket.

That's what happened to Spotsylvania resident Samuel Mullins. Originally, he stopped at the Express Mart on Lawyers Road to buy a candy bar.

While he was there, Mullins decided to buy a Lucky Numbers Super Ticket from the Virginia Lottery. He scratched the ticket and learned he was $500,000 richer.

"I didn’t even believe it," Mullins told lottery officials. "It feels pretty good right now!"

Mullins is a retired crane operator. He told lottery officials that he'll use his winnings to pay bills and take care of his grandchildren.

The Lucky Numbers Super Ticket is a larger-than-normal scratcher, the Virginia Lottery said. It includes prizes ranging from $10 up to $500,000. Mullins is the first player to win a top prize from the game. A pair of $100,000 tickets are still in circulation, waiting to be claimed.

The odds of winning the top prize are 1 in 1,224,000. The odds of winning any prize are 1 in 3.89.

If you or someone you know has a gambling problem, the Virginia Council on Problem Gaming provides resources to help. Their hotline can be reached at 1-888-532-3500.