A family has hit the USD 1 million jackpot after one lottery ticket bought as a Christmas stocking filler turned out to be a winner.

Jennifer Wanamaker – from Chesterfield County, in Virginia, USA, – bought a clutch of New Year’s Millionaire Raffle tickets and put them in her family’s stockings.

But she never expected that the ticket she put in her daughter Caitlin’s stocking would earn her family USD 1 million (GBP 821,000).

Nursing student Caitlin immediately told the rest of the family she would share the win with them.

Caitlin – who studies with her twin sister Alison – said in a statement obtained by Newsflash from Virginia Lottery: “It’s surreal! It’s a great start to the new year!”

Their father, Patrick, who was thrilled when Caitlin decided to split the prize with the whole family, said: ” If one person wins, we all win.”

The family collected the money at the Virginia Lottery headquarters in the city of Richmond, on Tuesday, 3rd January 2023.

Virginia Lottery said: “It was one of five USD 1 million [GBP 821,000] winners announced by the Virginia Lottery on New Year’s Day.

“The other four million-dollar winning tickets were bought in Danville, Burke, Henrico and Woodbridge.

“Seven tickets won USD 100,000 [GBP 81,900] each. They were bought in Blacksburg, Chantilly, Chesapeake, Fredericksburg, Gloucester, Midlothian and Woodstock.

“An additional 1,000 tickets each won USD 500 [GBP 409]”