RESTON, VA — A Reston man won a $100,000 Powerball prize after buying his ticket online for the March 16 drawing, according to the Virginia Lottery. Bharat Chatani matched four of the first five numbers plus the Powerball number, a combination that normally wins $50,000.
His prize doubled because he paid an extra dollar for Power Play when he bought the ticket, the Virginia Lottery reported. The Lottery said Chatani used Easy Pick, which lets the computer randomly select the numbers on the ticket.
The winning numbers for the March 16 drawing were 7-10-20-47-52, and the Powerball number was 20, according to the Virginia Lottery. Powerball drawings are held at 10:59 p.m. Mondays, Wednesdays and Saturdays. The odds of matching all six numbers to win the jackpot are 1 in 292.2 million, while the overall odds of winning any Powerball prize are 1 in 25.
The Virginia Lottery offers online play for games including Powerball, Mega Millions, Millionaire for Life, Pick 3, Pick 4, Pick 5, and Cash 5 with EZ Match. Players must be at least 18 years of age and physically located in Virginia.
The win also ties into school funding in Fairfax County. All Virginia Lottery profits go to K-12 education in Virginia, according to the Lottery. The Lottery reported that Fairfax County received more than $56 million in Lottery funds for K-12 education last fiscal year.
Statewide, the Virginia Lottery said it raised more than $901 million for K-12 education in Fiscal Year 2025. That accounted for approximately 10 percent of Virginia’s total K-12 school budget, according to the Lottery.
The Virginia Lottery directs players seeking district-by-district funding information to its Giving Back page. For general information and online play, the Lottery said players can visit its website or use the Lottery app.
The agency also included a responsible gaming reminder with the announcement. Anyone who thinks they or someone they know may have a gambling problem can contact the Virginia Problem Gambling Helpline at 888-532-3500. The helpline is available by call, text or chat 24/7.
Sign up for free local newsletters and alerts for the
Reston, VA Patch
Patch.com is the nationwide leader in hyperlocal news.
Visit Patch.com to find your town today.