“Siri” assists Richmond woman to discover she won $250,000

Veola Thomas (center) celebrates her win with her aunt Veola (left) and Virginia Lottery Executive Director Paula Otto (right).

RICHMOND, Va. — A Richmond woman is $250,000 richer thanks to winning the top prize on a Virginia Lottery ticket and getting a little help from “Siri.”

Veola Thomas said she couldn’t figure out if the the $250,000 Jackpot Doubler ticket in her hand was a winner so she asked Siri, also known as the Apple computer program, for a little assistance.

“Maybe Siri knows,” Thomas said, referring to the Apple personal assistant.

With the help of “Siri,” Thomas found information on the Virginia Lottery’s website that showed the ticket was indeed a winner.

Not only was Thomas a winner, she won the game’s $250,000 top prize.

When asked how she felt about taking to top prize, “Mighty good!” she laughed.

Thomas bought the winning ticket at Kroger, 3507 West Cary Street in Richmond.

She said she hopes to use her winnings to pay bills and save for college for her son, who is now eight years old.