Army vet wins $1.3 million lottery jackpot a month after making a long-distance move

Christopher Lehman played Pennsylvania Lottery’s online game, Jackpot Spectacular, May 30. He and his wife had recently made the move to The Keystone State when he opted to play.

“My wife always says I have good luck,” Lehman told the Pennsylvania Lottery. “I looked at the progressive prize amount for Jackpot Spectacular and thought, ‘That one’s about to pop soon,’” noting the game’s big prize starts at $150,000 and grows until it’s won.

“I budgeted $100 to play that day. I figured, if I lose, I lose,” he continued.

Lehman was then stunned to learn he had won over $1 million.

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“The bonus popped up and I couldn’t believe it,” he said. “I just stared at it for a second. My wife didn’t believe it either. We called the lottery together, and I put the phone on speaker so we could both hear it was real.”

According to the Pennsylvania Lottery, Lehman won the prize the same day he opened an online account to play. He said he enjoyed playing in New Hampshire and will continue to play in his new home state.

He picked up his winnings and posed with a giant commemorative check earlier this week.

Lehman and his wife, Judith, plan to use their winnings to pay off their mortgage and her car loan.

“We will probably invest the rest,” he told the Pennsylvania Lottery.

Lehman also shared that he was looking forward to traveling to see his youngest daughter graduate from the Army’s Basic Combat Training.

Elsewhere, a woman became the first $2 million prize winner in the Massachusetts State Lottery’s new $25,000,000 Mega Money scratch-off ticket game.

Vanesa Menijvar Acosta, of Georgia, won after her father bought her the ticket, according to the Massachusetts Lottery. Menjivar Acosta opted to take a one-time cash payment of $1.3 million before taxes. She plans to go to college and purchase a house with the money.

The scratch-off requires players to match their numbers to the game’s numbers to win. Tickets for the new game went on sale May 13.

Three grand prizes worth $2 million remain after Menjivar Acosta’s win.