Massachusetts lottery winner says he’ll use $1 million prize to help his mother retire

A Massachusetts lottery winner is making a strong case for “son of the year” after hitting it big on a scratch ticket.

Bellingham resident George Zakhary scratched a $1 million winner on the “$4,000,000 Bonus Bucks” game. He bought the ticket at the Hotshot store on South Street in Wrentham.

“Zakhary chose the cash option on his prize and received a one-time payment of $650,000 (before taxes),” the Lottery said in a statement. “He plans to put the winnings towards his mother’s retirement.”

The store received a $10,000 bonus for selling the winning ticket. According to the Lottery’s website, the $1 million prize is the largest ever won in Wrentham.

The $4,000,000 Bonus Bucks game has one $4 million grand prize remaining, as well as two $1 million prizes left. The overall odds of winning anything on the $10 scratch ticket are 1 in 3.47.

The biggest scratch ticket prize won so far this year in Massachusetts is $25 million, won in the “$25,000,000 Mega Money” instant ticket game. The winning $50 ticket, sold at a Cumberland Farms store in Turner Falls, was claimed by a trust fund out of Boston. The winner chose to take a one-time payment of $16,250,000 before taxes.

Scratch ticket sales, which make up about two-thirds of the Massachusetts Lottery’s revenue, were down $5.2 million this April compared to April of 2025, according to the lottery’s latest report.