‘Something’ told man to buy VA lottery ticket. It was a life-changing decision

A routine trip to 7-Eleven took a surreal turn when a man felt oddly compelled to buy a Virginia Lottery ticket — and he hit the jackpot.

Gary Hensley reports he was in search of coffee and gas, and playing the lottery wasn’t on his to-do list, according to a June 26 news release.

But then “his eyes fell on a Virginia Lottery scratcher ticket,” officials said.

It was a $30 Bonus Star Millions ticket and the odds of winning a top prize are 1 in 489,600.

“Something just told me to buy it!” he told lottery officials.

Hensley says he waited until he got home to start scratching off the ticket and discovered it was worth $1 million.

“I about had a heart attack!” he told lottery officials. “I didn’t get much sleep that night!”

Hensley went to get his prize June 12, and it came with a choice: Take a lesser lump sum check for $500,000, or get the $1 million divided up into annual payments over 30 years.

Hensley took the check.

He stands as the first person to win a top prize in the Bonus Star Millions game, beating odds of 1 in 489,600, lottery officials said.

The ticket was purchased at the 7-Eleven on Seminole Trail in Charlottesville, which is also Hensley’s hometown, officials said.

This story was originally published June 26, 2025 at 2:03 PM with the headline "‘Something’ told man to buy VA lottery ticket. It was a life-changing decision."