Wade Williams of Sunbury, N.C., likes playing lottery games in Virginia. His trips across the state line recently paid off when he won $250,000 in Mega Millions.

The ticket that he and his wife bought at Whaleyville Food Mart on Whaleyville Boulevard in Suffolk matched the first five numbers in the Feb. 24 drawing.

“I’m glad we won,” he told lottery officials as he claimed his prize. “I feel lucky.”

The winning numbers for that drawing were 1-16-18-25-27 and the Mega Ball number was 3. He selected numbers he has played in previous drawings.

Mr. Williams was just one number away from hitting the estimated $83 million jackpot. Instead, his ticket was the only one in Virginia to win $250,000 in the Feb. 24 drawing, and one of just eight nationwide.

Mega Millions drawings are held Tuesday and Friday nights at 11 p.m. Drawings are broadcast on TV stations across Virginia and streamed live at www.valottery.com and on the lottery’s Facebook page.

The odds of winning the $250,000 prize in Mega Millions are 1 in 3,904,701.