A Virginia man’s quip about winning the lottery turned out to be a lot more than just a joke.
Charles Smith, a resident of Newport News, was saying goodbye to his wife before a trip when he joked, “I’ll call you when I win the lottery,” according to a news release from the Virginia Lottery.
A few days later, Smith won the $227,037 jackpot in the Virginia Lottery’s “Cash 5 with EZ Match” game.
“My wife still thinks I’m joking!” he told the state lottery after his win. That’s not surprising: The chances of winning the jackpot are just 1 in 749,398, according to the Virginia Lottery.
Smith chose his lucky numbers, 4–6–8–12–15, based on his family members’ birthdays.
He doesn’t have any specific plans in mind for the six-figure winnings, he said—other than paying off some bills.
