Army Veteran Wins $1.3 Million Lottery Jackpot in Pennsylvania

PITTSBURGH, Pennsylvania – Army service member Christopher Lehman won over $1.3 million in the Pennsylvania Lottery on May 30. The active-duty soldier recently moved to Beaver County from New Hampshire and decided to try his luck with the online game Jackpot Spectacular.

Lehman, who has served in the Army for 25 years, bought $30 worth of lottery spins and was quickly down to his last $5 when he struck the jackpot. “I was like, well, if I don’t win, I don’t win. And it just hit on the last one,” he recalled.

A celebration for Lehman’s big win was held at the Pennsylvania Lottery’s Pittsburgh office on June 10. He remarked that the news was surprising but not entirely unbelievable. “The excitement level’s more of just a ‘OK, cool,’ because I didn’t see the money yet. I didn’t know if it was going to be real,” he said.

After confirming the win, Lehman and his wife, Judith, were overwhelmed with thoughts of how to spend their newfound wealth. “It went from the extremes of ‘We should go buy these things’ to, ultimately, we had to be adults,” he said. They decided on practical investments, including paying off their house and purchasing a new truck.

Lehman emphasized the importance of financial responsibility. “I think everybody should do that. Just grow the wealth. If you have kids—take care of your family,” he advised.

In addition to celebrating his lottery win, Lehman is proud to share that his youngest daughter will graduate from Army basic training on June 12. “I’m very proud and excited to travel to celebrate her accomplishment,” he added.