The winner, Ted Vallandingham, 65, of Allegheny County, said he purchased the big winner on Friday, December 3, just about one week after his birthday.

“It was quite amazing!” said Vallandingham. “I was in there scratching and I looked and said, ‘Oh! I won $1,000.’ The clerk came over and said, ‘Oh my gosh, you won $1 million!’ It was surreal!”

“I called my wife, and she was in the car with her mother. She didn’t believe me. I was still at the point of shock myself,” said Vallandingham.

Vallandingham said he’s a retired aircraft maintenance inspector of 36 years. He also said he served four years in the Navy as a Petty Officer Second Class in aviation under his former Commander and former U.S. Senator John McCain.

“I can now pay off my mortgage and those vehicles I purchased for my two teenagers,” Vallandingham added.

“First, we want to say thank you to Ted for his service in the military and we are excited to celebrate his big win on one of our Scratch-Off tickets,” said Pennsylvania Lottery Executive Director Drew Svitko. “The Pennsylvania Lottery has been able to do great things for older residents of the commonwealth for close to 50 years, and we have our players and retailer partners to thank for that.”

The PA Lottery Scratch-Off $1,000,000 Extreme Green went on sale on August 17, 2021 and is a $20 game that offers top prizes of $1 million.

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 make an appointment to 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 $32.6 billion to fund property tax and rent rebates, transportation, care services, prescription assistance, and local services including senior centers and meals.

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.