CHARLESTON, W.Va. — The West Virginia Lottery defied some odds of its own over the weekend when winning $1 million tickets were drawn on back to back nights that were purchased in West Virginia.
Lottery Marketing Director Nikki Orcutt said both the Mega Millions drawing Friday night and the Powerball drawing Saturday night had big winners in the Mountain State.
“I thought our computer room operator was joking with me when he called me at 11:30 following the drawing on Saturday to tell me we had another million dollar winner. I thought for sure he was joking because I just had the same conversation with him Friday night,” Orcutt said.
Neither of the winning tickets has been claimed but Orcutt said they expect the winners to visit Lottery headquarters in Charleston this week.
The Mega Millions ticket was sold at the C&L Super Serve in the Logan County community of Mallory. The store owner there said a laid-off coal miner purchased it.
Orcutt said the winning Powerball ticket was sold in Beckley and she understands it was a group of people.
“Obviously until the prize claimants come forward and we actually have a physical ticket to validate we won’t know but I guess that’s the word on the street for now,” she said.
MetroNews asked Orcutt what are the odds that million dollar winners hit on back-to-back nights.
“Unbelievable,” she said. “Unbelievable. We can sum that up in one word.”