Lottery player was just ‘goofing around’ — then he won a huge jackpot in Virginia

A Virginia man said he was just “goofing around” the moment he hit a major jackpot playing lottery games online, according to officials.

Brian Cullen, from Virginia Beach, won a jackpot prize worth $541,440 while playing The Lamp game, the Virginia Lottery said in a March 25 news release.

“It really feels good,” Cullen told the lottery.

Cullen said he hopes to retire soon, so the winnings will assist with his plan, according to lottery officials.

The odds of winning a prize in The Lamp game are 1 in 3.55, and the odds of winning the jackpot “vary by price point,” according to the game’s web page. Tickets cost between 50 cents and $30.

As of March 25, the estimated progressive jackpot for The Lamp game is more than $81,400.

This story was originally published March 25, 2025 at 8:06 AM with the headline "Lottery player was just ‘goofing around’ — then he won a huge jackpot in Virginia."

Natalie Demaree

mcclatchy-newsroom

479-616-0125

Natalie Demaree is a service journalism reporter covering Mississippi for McClatchy Media. She holds a master’s in journalism from Columbia Journalism School and a bachelor’s in journalism and political science with a specialization in African and African American Studies from the University of Arkansas.