$1M Lottery Winner Learned Of Lucky Ticket On New Year's Cruise

FREDERICKSBURG, VA — A Virginia Lottery winner learned of his luck while celebrating on a New Year's cruise.

Jerome Testa won $1 million in the New Year's Millionaire Raffle. Testa, an Orange County resident, bought his lucky ticket at the Wawa at 4527 Plank Road in Fredericksburg.

Testa was in the Caribbean on a cruise earlier this month. One morning, he decided to check the winning number in the Virginia Lottery raffle.

Testa was one of five $1 million top-prize winners in this year's raffle. The other lucky tickets were sold in Leesburg, Stafford, Manassas, and Arlington.

In addition to the $1 million prizes, seven tickets from across the state won $100,000 each.

"My wife screamed and fell off the bed,” Testa told lottery officials as he claimed his giant check. “I still haven’t wrapped my head around it yet!”

Testa is an aerospace technician. He noted that he'll use his winnings to take care of his family.

All Virginia Lottery profits go to K-12 education in Virginia. In fiscal year 2023, the Virginia Lottery raised more than $867 million for K-12 education, making up about 10 percent of Virginia’s total K-12 school budget.

If you or someone you know has a gambling problem, the Virginia Council on Problem Gaming provides resources to help. Their hotline can be reached at 1-888-532-3500.