Local restaurateur wins big money in lottery – for the second time this year
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| Haj-Assaad [Virginia Lottery] |
Less than five months after Annandale resident Hussein Haj-Assaad won $250,000 in the Virginia Lottery, he bought another winning ticket netting him $200,000.
The first time he won, Haj-Assaad said he planned to invest the winnings in the restaurant he owns, Raouche Café, on Gallows Road in Merrifield. This time, he told the Virginia Lottery he might open a second restaurant.
He bought the winning ticket in the Money Mania game at the E&C Mobil station at 2919 Gallows Road in Merrifield, the same place where he purchased a winning ticket for the 50x the Money game last spring.
The Money Mania scratcher game features prizes ranging from $20 to $250,000. The odds of winning the top prize are 1 in 367,200. The odds of winning any prize in this game are 1 in 3. Haj-Assaad is the first person to claim the game’s top prize, which means nine more remain unclaimed.
It's not uncommon for people to win multiple times. Some scratchers are in fact easier to pick winners. This article on WIRED from a few years ago is still relevent. https://www.wired.com/2011/01/ff_lottery/
That was a really interesting article. Thanks.
I taught one of his sons and have eaten at the restaurant many times! Could not happen to a better family. Very excited for the Haj-Assaads!
Congratulations, Mr. Haj-Assaad! Now I want to buy a lottery ticket at that Mobil, haha.