THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Friday, November 24, 1995 TAG: 9511240090
SECTION: LOCAL PAGE: B2 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: ASSOCIATED PRESS
DATELINE: RICHMOND LENGTH: Short : 41 lines
Someone who purchased a Lotto ticket in Hampton had a lot to be thankful for this Thanksgiving.
The Virginia Lottery said Thursday that one ticket matched all six numbers for the $24.8 million jackpot drawn Wednesday night. The winning numbers were seven, nine, 13, 17, 24 and 25.
The jackpot is the fourth largest in Virginia Lottery history and the largest in three years. The jackpot reached a record $28.4 million on Nov. 28, 1992.
Wednesday's jackpot had been building since Oct. 14. The game went 10 drawings with no winner, the longest stretch since the lottery began nearly six years ago.
The winning ticket was purchased Tuesday morning at a 7-Eleven store on South Armistead Avenue, Lottery spokeswoman Paula Otto said.
The Lottery office was closed Thursday. Otto said early Thursday afternoon that no one had left a message on the Lottery answering machine claiming he or she had the ticket.
Otto said Lottery offices also would be closed today, but the main Richmond office would be staffed if a winner comes forward and is anxious to cash in the ticket.
Otto said ticket sales were higher than expected for the drawing. Sales totaled $8.3 million, with sales of $5.6 million on Wednesday alone.
Lottery officials said the winner will receive approximately $1.24 million a year before taxes; $843,200 a year after taxes for 20 years.
If the jackpot is not claimed, the money would go to the state literary fund, which uses the money for school construction. Currently, two other jackpots have gone unclaimed, including one worth $16.5 million. by CNB