Virginia man joked about winning the lottery. Then he won over $200,000

CNN
 — 

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.