News writer
As 2025 kicks off, lottery players across the country are celebrating life-changing wins that prove the new year is already bringing big wins. From a Michigan woman who kept her million-dollar prize under wraps until Christmas to Texas players snagging multimillion-dollar jackpots, the stories of luck are as diverse as the winners themselves.
Meanwhile, New York and Massachusetts players are joining the millionaire club with scratch-off prizes and jackpot wins that could inspire anyone to grab a ticket. With so much lottery excitement to start the year, these lucky individuals are living proof that dreams really can come true.
A family secret in Michigan
A lucky Michigan player ended 2024 strong, but they waited until 2025 to collect their Powerball winnings. The Westland woman was going through her typical workday back in September when her husband called with some life-changing news. He checked her Powerball ticket, and she won $1 million!
Catherine Martin, 63, matched all five of the winning white ball numbers from the September 4, 2024, drawing to win the second-tier prize. The winning numbers for that drawing were 7, 10, 21, 33, and 59, and the Powerball was 20. She purchased the winning ticket from MD Westland LLC, located at 32919 Cherry Hill Road in Westland.
She recently made her way to lottery headquarters to claim her winnings and told lottery officials that she had a hard time believing her husband when he called. While she said she still can't believe it, she does plan on using the money to invest and save for retirement and put some away for her grandkids' college funds.
Speaking of her grandkids, Martin kept the big win a secret from her family, but then surprised them all with the big news on Christmas. A very special holiday for them all.
Texas has two big winners
Everything is bigger in Texas and that is definitely the case for these two big winners playing Texas Lottery games. Lottery officials announced that a Euless resident recently claimed a top prize winning ticket worth $3 million for the scratch ticket game 30X Supreme.
While the winner remained anonymous, the winning ticket was purchased at Brownie's, located at 501 Bedford Road in Bedford. The 30X Supreme scratcher offers over $162.3 million in total prizes, with this big win being the first of four top prizes available in the game.
Meanwhile, a resident of Houston also stepped forward to claim their Texas Two Step jackpot prize worth $1.28 million for the drawing held on January 2, 2025. This lucky winner also chose to remain anonymous, but they purchased their winning ticket at H-E-B Food Store #576, located at 7310 Louetta Road in Spring.
The winning ticket happened to be a Quick Pick ticket, which matched all of the winning numbers drawn for that January 2 drawing. The winning white ball numbers were 4, 10, 25, and 27, and the red Bonus Ball was 33.
Four new millionaires in New York
Over in the Big Apple, the New York Lottery announced a slew of big winners playing their lottery games. Four lucky players recently made their way to the lottery headquarters to claim their $1M+ prizes. These lucky winners were:
- Michelle Ward of Plattsburgh – $5 million top prize playing the Xtreme Money scratch-off game, which she purchased at Kinney Drugs, located at 1588 Military Turnpike in Plattsburgh. She elected to receive a one-time lump sum payment of $2.31 million after the required withholdings.
- John Frey of Middle Village – $5,000 a week for life top prize playing the Set For Life scratch-off game, which he purchased at 7-Eleven, located at 72-01 Eliot Avenue in Middle Village. He elected to receive the cash value of the minimum payout, which is $5 million. He took home a single lump sum payment of $2.12 million after the required withholdings.
- Axel Catalan of the Bronx – $2 million top prize from the $2,000,000 Cashword scratch-off game, which he purchased at Cruge Deli and Candy, located at 722 Allerton Ave. in the Bronx. He received a one-time lump sum payment of $846,300 after the required withholdings.
- Vitor Nika of the Bronx – $1 million prize from the VIP Millions scratch-off game, which he purchased at A M Family Discount & 99, located at 2135 Williamsbridge Rd. in the Bronx. Nika received a one-time lump sum payment of $612,240 after the required withholdings.
Massachusetts joins in on the fun
Finally, a lucky player in Massachusetts also joined the Millionaire Club recently. Bebelin Galvez of Rehoboth won $1 million playing the $2,000,000 50X Cashword instant ticket game from the Massachusetts Lottery.
The winning ticket was purchased at Moody Spa, located on Moody Street in Waltham. For selling the winning ticket, they will receive a $10,000 bonus from the lottery. Meanwhile, Galvez took home a one-time payment of $650,000 before taxes and she plans on investing her winnings.
Enjoy playing the lottery, and please remember to play responsibly.
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