Anthony Yates
The odds are never in your favor when you play the lottery or a scratchcard, and most of us are thrilled to win anything at all. However, one Virginia woman managed to beat astronomical odds by hitting the jackpot twice.
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The Virginia Lottery shared the news about Oletha Etheridge’s incredible luck. Etheridge reportedly won $25,000 from the Lottery in her 20s. She’s now in her 60s and just received a grand prize of $100,000 yearly for the next ten years. Etheridge was with her daughter at the time. The outlet claims she bought a “$100,000 A Year” scratchcard from Food Lion on Hargett Boulevard, Gloucester. Etheridge quickly realized she won a big prize and reportedly asked her daughter, “Are you sitting down? ‘Cause I have something to tell you.”
The Virginia Lottery clarified that Etheridge won the biggest prize on the scratchcard. The lottery typically hands out jackpots in installments or a lump sum, which is typically a lower amount. Etheridge had to choose to take her winnings as a $100,000 payment every year for a decade, or a single prize of $816,000 before taxes. She picked the latter.
The Double Lottery Winner Revealed What She Plans To Do With The Prize
Etheridge told lottery officials she wanted to buy “an affordable Corvette.” She also revealed she wants to add some rooms to the house, noting that her last lottery win secured that property decades ago. Etheridge explained that she wants to keep some money aside for when her daughters are ready to buy houses themselves.
The Virginia Lottery claims that Etheridge’s ticket is the second “$100,000 A Year” jackpot to be claimed. There is reportedly one more out in the wild, but players must conquer 1 in 612,000 odds for the grand prize.
Lottery officials typically release stories about jackpot winners, but have you ever wondered what happens if nobody claims the top prize? In June, the CA Lottery posted a press release explaining that a jackpot of $1,391,550 was waiting to be claimed. The issue is that the winning ticket was purchased in December 2024, six months prior.
Authorities revealed that winnings have an expiry date of 180 days. If nobody claims the cash within that time, the money is donated to public schools across the state.
