Pennsylvania mom celebrates Mother's Day with a $1M lottery prize

Just days before Mother's Day, a stressful morning involving a flat tire turned into a life-changing moment for one Pennsylvania Lottery mom. The 32-year-old mother of two stopped for a drink after daycare drop-off frustrations and decided to treat herself to a scratch-off ticket. Minutes later, she was in tears after finding out she had won $1 million playing the Pennsylvania Lottery's WIN WIN WIN game. The big win gave her family a surprise Mother's Day celebration they will never forget.

Stressful morning turned right around

On Tuesday, April 21, 2026, Beth Dudley got a flat tire after she dropped off her toddler at daycare. Things were feeling pretty stressful for the mom of two.

Dudley told Pennsylvania Lottery officials, “I was actually stressing over car issues.” Later that day, she stopped at Crabtree Gas & Go, located at 226 Roosevelt Way, in Salem Township, for a drink.

Dudley juggles working and having two kids. That leaves very little time for herself. Because of that, she occasionally treats herself to a lottery ticket.

So, Dudley was buying her drink and decided to also buy a lottery ticket. She told lottery officials, “I thought, ‘What’s it going to hurt?’ I play occasionally.”

A sign from her brother?

Before buying the winning ticket, Dudley's brother told her, “You're going to get the tire changed, and your whole world will turn around.”

Indeed, that is what happened after she stopped at Crabtree Gas & Go. After buying the ticket, she then scratched the ticket and found out it was a $1 million winner.

She told lottery officials, “I thought, 'Am I seeing this right?' Then I just started to cry.”

Calling her family with the big news

After the big win, Dudley said she called her mom to tell her the good news first. Her parents also play the lottery, so she figured they would appreciate the story more.

Dudley said:

When I first called her, I was crying, so my mom thought something was wrong because my dad has stage 4 heart failure. My mom then said, 'I just bought that ticket a day ago!'

She also shared the big news with her husband. Dudley said, “I don't think he believed me at first.” As for the winnings, she said she plans on buying a new car and then investing the rest of it.

A Mother’s Day weekend celebration

We are just days away from Mother’s Day, so what a fitting time for the Pennsylvania Lottery to hold a celebration for the Westmoreland County mother of two. She won the $1 million prize from the $10 scratch-off game, WIN WIN WIN.

On Friday, May 8, 2026, lottery officials held a check presentation ceremony at CRabtree Gas & Go. For selling the winning ticket, the lucky lottery retailer earned a $5,000 selling bonus.

During the check presentation, Secretary of Revenue Pat Browne stated:

It’s great to see a hardworking mom who juggles so much have some luck come her way. We’re grateful that Beth chose to spend some of her extra cash on Pennsylvania Lottery tickets. As many of our players know, every ticket sold helps the Lottery generate funding for programs that benefit older Pennsylvanians. We’re very proud of the fact that our Lottery remains the only state Lottery to direct all proceeds to programs that benefit older residents.

Now that Dudley has claimed her prize, there are still four $1 million prizes, the top prize for this scratch-off game, available.

Enjoy playing the Pennsylvania Lottery, and please remember to play responsibly.