EYEWITNESS NEWS (WBRE/WYOU) — The Pennsylvania Lottery reports a single mother of two won $1,000,000 from a PA Lottery scratch-off ticket.
According to officials, Diane Babbin of Westmoreland County shared she’s a single mom of two older children and said on Friday, April 28, 2023, her son was sick with a fever, so she asked her mother to go to the SHOP ‘n SAVE to purchase a thermometer and a scratch-off.
“My mom ended up scratching the ticket in the car and called me saying, ‘You have to come get me. I can’t drive home,” said Babbin.
Babbin told PA lottery officials she works as a certified nursing assistant and she lives with her parents so she can help them. They also help take care of her children.
“I’m a single mom, so I wouldn’t be able to give my kids the life they have without the help from my parents. My daughter is going to college in the fall, and my son is in high school. We’ve talked a lot about what we’ll do with the prize. For now, it just means less worries, but maybe we’ll buy a home,” explained Babbin.
The PA Lottery Scratch-Off, Millionaire Maker, went on sale on February 21, 2023, and is a $20 game that offers top prizes of $1 million.
Babbin was presented with a commemorative check from Pennsylvania Lottery officials for a $1,000,000 win from a scratch-off called Millionaire Maker. The check presentation was held at the SHOP ‘n SAVE, in Latrobe, where the winning ticket was sold. The store receives a $5,000 bonus for selling the winning ticket.
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.
