National

Nurse didn’t think life-changing lottery win was real. So she called her dad for help

Virginia nurse Emily Parker won a six-figure prize playing a progressive lottery game on her phone, officials said.
Virginia nurse Emily Parker won a six-figure prize playing a progressive lottery game on her phone, officials said. Photo by the Virginia Lottery

A Virginia nurse snagged a life-changing prize playing an online lottery game.

Emily Parker said she couldn’t believe her eyes after winning a $903,298 jackpot, Virginia Lottery officials said in a March 7 news release.

Parker, who’s from Duffield, was playing the Monopoly Progressive Jackpots instant game on her phone when she realized she won.

“I didn’t think it was real!” she told officials.

Stunned, she called her father and sent a screenshot to confirm her win.

The online instant game requires players to match “three or more of the same symbol to win a prize,” according to the lottery’s website. As more people play, the jackpot grows, officials said.

Parker didn’t say how she plans to spend her newfound wealth.

Duffield is about a 400-mile drive southwest from Richmond.

Many people can gamble or play games of chance without harm. However, for some, gambling is an addiction that can ruin lives and families.

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.

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This story was originally published March 8, 2024 at 9:56 AM with the headline "Nurse didn’t think life-changing lottery win was real. So she called her dad for help."

Tanasia Kenney
Sun Herald
Tanasia is a service journalism reporter at the Charlotte Observer | CharlotteFive, working remotely from Atlanta, Georgia. She covers restaurant openings/closings in Charlotte and statewide explainers for the NC Service Journalism team. She’s been with McClatchy since 2020.
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