“We were in that area for a gun show and stopped by Rutter’s for a bathroom break. That’s when we decided to purchase a ticket,” said the lucky winner John Fresh of Lancaster County, who was traveling with his wife, Jan Morrissey.

John said he bought the ticket on Saturday, January 20.

“I had $20 in my pocket and decided to buy that ticket,” said Fresh. “We scratched it when we went back to the motel in Altoona and still weren’t sure how much we won until we took it back to the store the next day.”

“I asked Jan for a pen, because I wanted to sign that ticket right away!” said Fresh.

“I didn’t believe him, until we scanned the barcode Sunday morning,” said Morrissey.

The married couple says they are both retired and have a passion for volunteering and travel.

“I enjoy quilting for an organization called Quilts of Valor,” said Morrissey.

“Nicktown is my hometown, so I think I’ll donate some money to the fire company there,” said Fresh. “Plus, we recently got back from Ireland. We’ll probably book a trip to take my family to Disney World in April. We’ll then look at booking a cruise to Alaska and then Scotland in the fall.”

“Congratulations to John and Jan of Lancaster County for winning this top prize,” said Secretary of Revenue Pat Browne. “We’d also like to recognize Rutter’s for selling this winning ticket. Our loyal Lottery players and our retailers across the Commonwealth play a big part in helping the Pennsylvania Lottery fulfill its mission of responsibly generating funding for programs that benefit older Pennsylvanians.” 

“All of us at Rutter’s would like to congratulate John and Jan on their winning ticket! We’re thrilled to have another lucky winner at one of our locations and hope to have many more in the near future!” said Rutter’s Vice President of Fuels, Advertising and Development Chris Hartman.

The PA Lottery Scratch-Off, $1 Million Money Tree, went on sale on October 24, 2023, and is a $20 game that offers top prizes of $1 million.

Scratch-Offs are distributed at random, meaning the Pennsylvania Lottery and its retailers do not know where winning tickets will be sold. The Lottery learns where winning tickets are sold only after a prize has been claimed.

To determine if they have won a prize, players can review the ticket, scan it at a Lottery retailer, or use the Ticket Checker feature on the Lottery’s Official App. Winners should immediately sign the back of the ticket, call the Lottery at 1-800-692-7481 and file a claim at the nearest Lottery office.

Prizes must be claimed, and tickets validated before winners can be identified. Scratch-Off prizes expire one year from the game's end-sale date posted at palottery.com. All lottery prizes more than $5,000 are subject to applicable withholding. Visit palottery.com to review rules, chances of winning and learn how to play our traditional and online games.

Newest Scratch-Offs >
 

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About Us: The Pennsylvania Lottery remains the only state lottery to direct all proceeds to programs that benefit older residents. Since ticket sales began in 1972, it has contributed more than $35.1 billion to fund property tax and rent rebates, transportation, care services, prescription assistance, and local services including senior centers and meals. The Pennsylvania Lottery operates as a bureau within the Pennsylvania Department of Revenue.

Visit the Winners and Benefits pages at palottery.com to review how much money each county receives in Lottery prizes and funding to benefit older Pennsylvanians.

Players must be 18 or older. Please play responsibly. Call 1-800-GAMBLER (1-800-426-2537) for help with a compulsive gambling problem.

Visit palottery.com for winning numbers, rules, chances of winning, and to join the VIP Players Club to play online or enter for second chances to win. Install our Official App, like us on Facebook and follow us on Instagram and Twitter @PALottery. Use the hashtag #palottery to share your messages with us.