Active-duty soldier Christopher Lehman poses for a photo after winning a Pennsylvania Lottery prize with PA Lottery Western Regional Sales Manager Victoria Holman in Pittsburgh, Pa., on June 10, 2025. (Pennsylvania Lottery)
(Tribune News Service) — As an active-duty Army soldier was getting acquainted with his new home in Pennsylvania, he decided to test his luck by purchasing a lottery ticket.
“My wife always says I have good luck,” Christopher Lehman told officials. “I looked at the progressive prize amount for Jackpot Spectacular and thought, ‘That one’s about to pop soon.’”
The $1.3 million prize showed up when he played the online game, leaving the Beaver County couple in shock, lottery officials said in a June 10 news release.
“I just stared at it for a second,” the service member of 25 years said. “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.”
Lehman said he had previously played the lottery in New Hampshire, where he lived until his move to Pennsylvania about one month ago, according to officials.
Just before his big win, he decided to play the lottery online and signed up for an account in Pennsylvania.
Lehman and his wife plan to spend their $1,351,472 prize on paying off a car loan and mortgage, then invest the remainder.
The couple will also be celebrating their youngest daughter’s graduation from Army Basic training on June 12, they told officials.
Beaver County is about a 30-mile drive northwest from Pittsburgh.
Many people can gamble or play games of chance without harm. However, for some, gambling is an addiction that can ruin lives and families. If you or a loved one shows signs of gambling addiction, you can seek help by calling the national gambling hotline at 1-800-522-4700 or visiting the National Council on Problem Gambling website.
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