Lottery player ‘had a good vibe’ about a drawing. Then came a life-changing win
A Virginia man felt good about a lottery drawing — and his instinct was spot-on.
So much so, John Canni is now celebrating a $100,000 prize. He got richer after the Virginia Lottery said he tried his luck on the New Year’s Millionaire Raffle, which had top prizes of $1 million.
“I just had a good vibe about it,” Canni, a self-employed Virginia Beach resident, told lottery officials in a Jan. 9 news release.
Canni and his wife each bought tickets for the drawing at the Malbon Brothers Corner Mart in Virginia Beach. When the winners were announced on Jan. 1, he checked how much his ticket was worth.
“Well, we didn’t win the million,” he told his wife.
But Canni’s ticket still beat 1-in-89,000 odds to score one of the seven $100,000 prizes. The Virginia Lottery in its news release didn’t say how much he kept after taxes or how much he spent on the winning ticket.
Canni said he hopes to invest his prize money. And it turns out, his time playing the lottery may not be over.
“I feel like I can win again,” he told officials.
Canni’s win came as five lottery tickets sold across Virginia hit the $1 million jackpot in the New Year’s drawing, McClatchy News reported.
BEHIND THE STORY
MOREWhen gambling is more than a game
Gambling is designed to be a source of entertainment.
If you or a loved one shows signs of gambling addiction, you can seek help by calling the national gambling hotline at 1-800-522-4700 or visiting the National Council on Problem Gambling website.
This story was originally published January 10, 2024 at 8:41 AM with the headline "Lottery player ‘had a good vibe’ about a drawing. Then came a life-changing win."
