News writer
The headquarters for the Virginia Lottery had a strong police presence on Tuesday morning. Reports state that a suspicious package was seen in the neighborhood. After this news came out, authorities ordered everyone to leave the building, and many of the streets surrounding the headquarters were closed. Capitol Police, however, confirmed later in the afternoon that the matter had been settled and that it was safe to reenter the building.
Precautions were taken
A spokesperson for the Capitol Police, Caroline Frye, said police were called to the area around 10:23 a.m. on Tuesday, February 24, 2026. The calls coming in were for a “suspicious package.”
After hearing about this package, authorities had to take all necessary precautions. Nearby intersections were closed, and the headquarters for the Virginia Lottery were evacuated.
Witnesses did report seeing a noticeable police presence in the neighborhood, including the lottery headquarters being surrounded by multiple officers.
After the news was released regarding the incident, Frye stated:
We are encouraging everyone to avoid the area at this time. We will provide further information as it comes available.
While the Richmond Police Department was involved in the investigation, the Capitol Police took the lead in the case. Because of typical emergency protocol, the Richmond Fire Department was also dispatched to the scene.
No threat was found
Later in the afternoon on February 24, Frye said a suspicious package had been found at the location. However, detectives determined that there was no threat.
"The building was evacuated out of precaution and in accordance to protocol," Frye said in a statement. Since then, the building was cleared for reentry after investigators revealed there was no threat.
Besides investigators saying there was no threat, they didn't provide any other details regarding the content of the package or what particularly caused concern to report it.
The streets have since been reopened, and employees have been given the go-ahead to return to their offices.
Similar incident at Connecticut Lottery headquarters
State agencies have a ton of security measures that must be taken when dealing with unknown or potentially dangerous objects. These measures must be taken to ensure everyone's safety.
A similar incident recently took place at the Connecticut Lottery headquarters in Wallingford.
A letter containing an unidentified powder-like substance was delivered to this office. The offices were temporarily shut down for officials to investigate, and it was later determined that the substance was not a danger to anyone, and the offices were reopened.
These types of incidents show us the increased awareness needed at public buildings and government facilities. This is even more true for people who manage high-profile gambling operations and financial transactions.
Operations are back to normal
There were no long-term issues that came about for the Virginia Lottery because of this incident. There were also no interruptions to ticket sales or drawings.
This lockdown during lunchtime brought about only a brief disruption and not a long-term problem for players and retailers.
Quick action and safety remain the top priorities for authorities. Both of these incidents in Virginia and Connecticut are just a reminder that precautions end up being just that: precautions. The first wave of flashing lights was followed by the all-clear in just a matter of hours.
Enjoy playing the Virginia Lottery, and please remember to play responsibly.
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