Million Dollar Ticket: Alexandria Restaurant Worker Wins $1,000,000 Top Prize

ALEXANDRIA, VA –  An Alexandria restaurant worker, Nelson Lopez Rivera has struggled with fewer hours and economic hardship during the Covid-19 pandemic, but thanks to his buying two Virginia Lottery tickets at a Richmond Highway convenience store, he’s now a lot more comfortable.

Rivera went to Sai Express at 8178 Richmond Highway in Alexandria to buy food for the week and decided to buy two 20X the Money tickets. He said, “Something called me to come buy this ticket.” While the first ticket wasn’t a winner, the second one surprised him. He initially thought it was a $1,000 winner, but when he uncovered the additional zeros, the Fort Washington, Maryland, man realized he’d just scratched to win the game’s $1 million top prize.

Rivera is the third top prize winner in the latest version of 20X the Money (game #1998); that means one top prize remains unclaimed. The game features prizes ranging from $10 all the way up to $1 million. The chances of winning the top prize are 1 in 1,224,000. The chances of winning any prize in this game are 1 in 3.51.

He had the choice of taking the full $1 million prize over 30 years or a one-time cash option of $601,685 before taxes. He chose the cash option. The store receives a $10,000 bonus from the Virginia Lottery for selling the winning ticket.

Mr. Rivera said he plans to take some time to think about what he wants to do with his winnings.

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