Beaver County man claims $1.35 million prize

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A Beaver County man who is active-duty Army is celebrating becoming a millionaire after winning an online Pennsylvania Lottery game.

Lottery officials presented Christopher Lehman, who has served in the Army for 25 years, with a commemorative check June 10 at the agency’s Pittsburgh office for $1,351,472. He won May 30 playing the Jackpot Spectacular game.

“My wife always says I have good luck,” Lehman said in a release from the Lottery. “I looked at the progressive prize amount for Jackpot Spectacular and thought, ‘That one’s about to pop soon.’ I budgeted $100 to play that day. I figured, if I lose, I lose.”

A progressive Lottery prize is one in which the jackpot keeps growing until the prize is won.

What happened next surprised Lehman, the release said.

“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.”

Big win: Who’s a new millionaire? Beaver County player wins $1.35M on online Lottery game

In a surprising twist, Lehman shared that he won the same day he signed up for a PA Lottery online account.

“My wife and I just moved here from New Hampshire about a month ago,” he said. “I’m active duty in the Army for the past 25 years. I enjoyed playing Lottery games online in New Hampshire and now online in Pennsylvania.”

“Congratulations to Christopher and his family on winning this life-changing prize,” said Secretary of Revenue Pat Browne. “We’re also reminding everyone that every Lottery purchase, whether online or in-store at a retailer, helps the Pennsylvania Lottery fulfill its mission of supporting programs and services that benefit older Pennsylvanians. We’re proud that this win not only changes one life, but also contributes to making a positive difference for seniors in communities across the Commonwealth.”

“Echoing the Secretary, congratulations to Christopher on winning this exciting prize, and we thank him for his service,” saidPennsylvania Lottery Executive Director Drew Svitko. “We’re always happy to see one of our players win a prize that will make a big difference in their lives.”

Lehman and his wife, Judith, said they plan to use their prize money to pay off their mortgage and Judith’s car loan.

“We will probably invest the rest,” he added.

Lehman also shared that his youngest daughter is graduating from Army basic training, also known as Basic Combat Training, on June 12. He said he is very proud and excited to travel to celebrate her accomplishment.

Jackpot Spectacular is a connect-style game with shared progressive jackpots across multiple states. Either progressive jackpot can be won in any participating state at any time. Gameplay features a chance to reveal a multiplier amount up to 50 times, a chance to unlock 10 free games, and a chance to activate a bonus game.

The Pennsylvania Lottery’s online games are played on a computer, tablet, or mobile device. They were first launched in May 2018, and have generated more than $500 million in profit for programs that benefit older Pennsylvanians, according to Lottery officials