Stunned retiree wins big playing Virginia Lottery online at 1 a.m. ‘Got to be a trick’

Gambling online at 1 a.m. sounds like trouble in the making, but one Virginia man is crediting his “night owl” lifestyle for winning a boatload of money in the Virginia Lottery.

Walter Gainer of Barhamsville is retired and says he “was just killing time” as he sat up playing Prospector’s Gold online well past midnight, according to a news release. Barhamsville is about 40 miles southeast of Richmond.

The session ended with a six figure number that Gainer says was tough to comprehend: $169,619.

“I’m looking at it and saying, ‘This has got to be a trick!’” Gainer said.

It wasn’t.

Gainer recently picked up his winnings and he told lottery officials “he has no immediate plans” for spending the money on fancy cars, a fishing boat or a bigger house.

He’s thinking of making investments, he told lottery officials.

Odds vary widely in the game, based on how much the player spends.

In Gainer’s case, his odds were 1 in 4.73, officials said.

Prospector’s Gold is among “dozens of online games” on the Virginia Lottery’s website that allow people (age 18 and older) to win big — or lose — from the comfort of their home.

Plays in the game range from 50 cents to $20 and the jackpot grows as more people play. Only people “physically located in Virginia” can play the games, officials said.

This story was originally published January 26, 2022 at 7:28 AM with the headline "Stunned retiree wins big playing Virginia Lottery online at 1 a.m. ‘Got to be a trick’."