Man wakes to message saying he won huge Virginia lottery prize — and it wasn’t a dream

A Virginia man couldn’t go back to sleep after waking up in the middle of the night to a shocking message.

Kendrek Mallory woke up to a message from the Virginia lottery celebrating his new a $1 million win, the Virginia Beach man told lottery officials in a May 23 news release.

“It’s unbelievable,” Mallory told lottery officials. Once he got the news, he said he was wide awake.

He played Virginia Lottery’s Cash4Life game on his phone for the May 15 drawing and won big, according to lottery officials.

Mallory had the choice of a weekly payment of $1,000 for the rest of his life or a one-time cash option of $1 million, according to the Virginia Lottery. Mallory chose the one-time lump sum, officials said.

Many people can gamble or play games of chance without harm. However, for some, gambling is an addiction that can ruin lives and families.

If you or a loved one shows signs of gambling addiction, you can seek help by calling the national gambling hotline at 1-800-522-4700 or visiting the National Council on Problem Gambling website.

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