Amherst man wins $5 million by scratching lottery ticket

AMHERST, Va. (WDBJ/Virginia Lottery Release) - An Amherst man has won $5 million by scratching a ticket in a Virginia Lottery game.

“I got to the truck and scratched it, and there it was!”

Josh Orme bought a $326,000,000 Fortune ticket at Sardis Grocery Store, on Lexington Turnpike in Amherst. He then took the ticket to his vehicle in the parking lot and scratched it, telling lottery officials, “It’s really surreal. I’m in a state of shock.”

The chances of winning any prize in this game are 1 in 3.43, according to Virginia Lottery.

Orme had the choice of taking the $5 million prize in annual payments over 30 years or a one-time cash option of $3,125,000 before taxes. He chose the annual payments. The store that sold the winning ticket receives a $10,000 bonus from the Virginia Lottery.

Orme, a small business owner, said he has no immediate plans for his winnings except to pay bills and save for retirement.

“It feels pretty good!” he said.

Copyright 2023 WDBJ. All rights reserved.