State Lottery Virginia

Mystery of State Lottery Virginia someone in Alexandria had bought a lottery ticket worth $1 million. But they never stepped forward to claim it. Until now.

Virginia's New Year's Millionaire Raffle saw three ticket-holders win $1 million each. While two others outside the area claimed their checks, the Alexandria ticketholder waited until today to come forward.

Kofi Nyanor of Alexandria told lottery officials he knew on New Year's Day that he had a winning ticket. He kept that ticket tucked away in a safe spot for the next four months.

“I went about my business,” he said. “I didn’t tell anyone.”

Today he claimed the third and final top prize in the Virginia’s New Year’s Millionaire Raffle. He received his check from Virginia Lottery Executive Director Paula Otto.

He put the ticket in a safe place, and started making plans. Only 330,000 tickets were sold in that lottery, and two other winners claimed their million dollars before Nyanor got around to it May 19.

“He was getting his financial affairs in order and really was doing the things we advise winners of big prizes to do,” said John Hagerty of the lottery office.

Nyanor described himself as a once-in-a-while lottery player, and said he will invest his winnings and donate part of it to charity.

Dan Kumbalasiri of Silver Spring didn’t wait nearly so long. He was on a diaper run for his 6-month-old daughter and picked up some Maryland Lottery scratch-off tickets, and a Multi-Match ticket. The scratch-offs won him $150, plenty to cover the diaper purchase. It wasn’t until the next day that he checked the other ticket.

Nyanor described himself to lottery officials as a "once-in-a-while lottery player," and said he plans to invest his winnings and give to charity.

By law, Virginia Lottery tickets expire 180 days after drawings and the unclaimed prize money goes to the state Literary Fund. Nyanor's ticket would have expired on June 29th if Nyanor had not redeemed it.

The Virginia Lottery generates approximately $1.2 million per day for Virginia’s K-12 public schools. Operating entirely on revenue from the sale of lottery products, rather than tax dollars, the Virginia Lottery raised more than $430.2 million for Virginia’s public schools in fiscal year 2010. That represents about 8 percent of state funding for public education in Virginia.