U.S. News

Virginia woman defies odds, wins two lottery jackpots in one week

By CM Chaney · November 4, 2023

A Virginia woman defied astronomical odds by winning two major prizes just one week apart in the same online lottery game.

Jennifer Minton of Gloucester won a $50,000 prize playing the Virginia Lottery’s new Safari Quest game on her mobile phone. Shockingly, just seven days later, Minton won an even bigger jackpot worth $912,936 while playing the same Safari Quest game.

“I’m in shock!” Minton told the Virginia Lottery. “I’m in disbelief!”

Minton was not expecting to win anything close to $50,000 the first time she won. She recalled thinking someone else had won a jackpot that reset shortly before discovering she was the big winner. Little did Minton know, her lucky streak was just getting started.

The Virginia Lottery launched Safari Quest in October 2022. Players can wager between $0.20 to $50 per play and win prizes by matching three or more symbols in the digital prize area.

Minton won her $50,000 prize with a $5 bet and later hit the $912,936 jackpot with a $10 wager.

According to the Virginia Lottery, the odds of winning any prize in Safari Quest are 1 in 3.84, based on the maximum number of possible tickets that could be played. For perspective, that means a player could expect to win a prize of some amount about once every four plays.

The chances of Minton winning two major jackpots in the same new game only a week apart are astronomically low.

Yet, against all odds, Minton pulled off the incredible double win.

“I’m still trying to absorb it,” she said as she claimed her second six-figure prize.