$7 Million Lottery Ticket Bought In Alexandria

ALEXANDRIA, VA — A Maryland man had a more satisfying breakfast than he was expecting when he won $7 million from a lottery ticket bought in Alexandria.

Eric Austin of Capitol Heights, Maryland bought a 100X The Money lottery ticket at 7-Eleven, 504 John Carlyle Street and took it back to his office. While having breakfast, he scratched the ticket and learned he won the game's top prize of $7 million.

"It didn’t register at first," he told Virginia Lottery officials. "I had to look at it a couple of times!"

Austin had the choice of the $7 million prize in annual payments over 30 years or a one-time cash option of $4.2 million before taxes. He chose the cash prize. The 7-Eleven store selling the winning ticket also received a $10,000 bonus from the Virginia Lottery.

The 100X The Money game has prizes ranging from $30 to a $500,000 second prize and $7 million top prize. Austin's $7 million win is the second top prize claimed in the game. One $7 million prize remains unclaimed.

According to the Virginia Lottery, the chances of winning the top prize are 1 in 2,611,200. The odds of winning any prize in the game are 1 in 2.77.