Daughter wins $2 million after getting lottery ticket from dad
According to a press release from the Massachusetts Lottery, Vanesa Menijvar Acosta has become the first $2 million winner of the state's $25,000,000 Mega Money game that went live on May 13.
Officials said that Acosta won the prize from a scratch-off ticket that she received as a gift from her father. Acosta told lottery officials that she plans to use the one-time payment of $1.3 million to buy a house and attend college.
But Acosta is not the only big winner from the ticket. Massachusetts Lottery officials said that the store that sold the winning ticket, East Boston Corner Market, will get a $20,000 bonus as well.
Tickets can be purchased in person at gas stations, convenience stores and grocery stores. Some airport terminals may also sell lottery tickets.
You can also order tickets online through Jackpocket, the official digital lottery courier of the USA TODAY Network, in these U.S. states and territories: Arizona, Arkansas, Colorado, Idaho, Maine, Massachusetts, Minnesota, Montana, Nebraska, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Oregon, Puerto Rico, Washington D.C. and West Virginia. The Jackpocket app allows you to pick your lottery game and numbers, place your order, see your ticket and collect your winnings all using your phone or home computer.
Jackpocket is the official digital lottery courier of the USA TODAY Network. Gannett may earn revenue for audience referrals to Jackpocket services. Must be 18+, 21+ in AZ and 19+ in NE. Not affiliated with any State Lottery. Gambling Problem? Call 1-877-8-HOPE-NY or text HOPENY (467369) (NY); 1-800-327-5050(MA); 1-877-MYLIMIT (OR); 1-800-981-0023 (PR); 1-800-GAMBLER (all others). Visit jackpocket.com/tos for full terms.
Fernando Cervantes Jr. is a trending news reporter for USA TODAY. Reach him at fernando.cervantes@gannett.com and follow him on X @fern_cerv_.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Woman wins $2 million from gifted lottery ticket
Hashtags

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
2 hours ago
- Yahoo
Mega Millions winning numbers for Aug. 1: $140 million jackpot
The Mega Millions jackpot rose to $140 million for the drawing on Friday, Aug. 1, after no one matched all the winning numbers in the drawing on Tuesday, July 29. If someone matches all six numbers on Friday, they will have the option of a one-time cash payment of $62 million. There have been four Mega Millions winners this year, with the most recent being the June 27 win in Virginia of a jackpot of $348 million. Before then, on April 18, an Ohio player took home a $112 million jackpot, a lucky lottery ticket holder in Illinois took home a $344 million jackpot on March 25 and another lucky person hit the Mega Millions jackpot on Jan. 17 for $113 million. Here are the winning numbers from the Mega Millions drawing on Friday, August 1, 2025. Mega Millions winning numbers for 8/1/25 The winning numbers for Friday, August 1: 18-27-29-33-70 and the gold Mega Ball: 22 Winning lottery numbers are sponsored by Jackpocket, the official digital lottery courier of the USA TODAY Network. Did anyone win the Mega Millions? Any Mega Millions winners will be posted here once announced by lottery officials. To view the list of past winners, visit the Mega Millions website. How to play the Mega Millions To play the Mega Millions, you have to buy a ticket. You can do this at a variety of locations, including your local convenience store, gas station or even grocery store. In some states, Mega Millions tickets can be bought online. Once you have your ticket, you need to pick six numbers. Five of them will be white balls with numbers from 1 to 70. The gold Mega Ball ranges from 1 to 24. If you're feeling especially unlucky or don't want to go through the hassle of picking, you can ask for a "Quick Pick" or an "Easy Pick.' These options let the computer randomly generate numbers for you. Mega Millions tickets now include a built-in multiplier, which increases non-jackpot prizes by two, three, four, five, or 10 times. Before, players had to pay an extra dollar to add the "Megaplier.' Where can you buy lottery tickets? Tickets can be purchased in person at gas stations, convenience stores and grocery stores. Some airport terminals may also sell lottery tickets. (This story has been updated with new information.) You can also order tickets online through Jackpocket, the official digital lottery courier of the USA TODAY Network, in these U.S. states and territories: Arizona, Arkansas, Colorado, Idaho, Maine, Massachusetts, Minnesota, Montana, Nebraska, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Oregon, Puerto Rico, Washington, D.C., and West Virginia. The Jackpocket app allows you to pick your lottery game and numbers, place your order, see your ticket and collect your winnings all using your phone or home computer. Jackpocket is the official digital lottery courier of the USA TODAY Network. Gannett may earn revenue for audience referrals to Jackpocket services. Must be 18+, 21+ in AZ and 19+ in NE. Not affiliated with any State Lottery. Gambling Problem? Call 1-877-8-HOPE-NY or text HOPENY (467369) (NY); 1-800-327-5050 (MA); 1-877-MYLIMIT (OR); 1-800-981-0023 (PR); 1-800-GAMBLER (all others). Visit for full terms. Fernando Cervantes Jr. is a trending news reporter for USA TODAY. Reach him at and follow him on X @fern_cerv_. This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Mega Millions winning numbers for 8/1/25: Jackpot at $140 million Solve the daily Crossword


USA Today
2 hours ago
- USA Today
Idaho Lottery results: See winning numbers for Mega Millions, Pick 3 on Aug. 1, 2025
Looking to win big? The Idaho Lottery offers several games if you think it's your lucky day. Lottery players in Idaho can chose from popular national games like the Powerball and Mega Millions, which are available in the vast majority of states. Other games include Lotto America, Lucky For Life, 5 Star Draw, Idaho Cash, Pick 3 and Pick 4. Big lottery wins around the U.S. include a lucky lottery ticketholder in California who won a $1.27 billion Mega Millions jackpot in December 2024. See more big winners here. And if you do end up cashing a jackpot, here's what experts say to do first. Here's a look at Friday, Aug. 1, 2025 results for each game: Winning Mega Millions numbers from Aug. 1 drawing 18-27-29-33-70, Mega Ball: 22 Check Mega Millions payouts and previous drawings here. Winning Pick 3 numbers from Aug. 1 drawing Day: 0-4-3 Night: 8-3-5 Check Pick 3 payouts and previous drawings here. Winning Pick 4 numbers from Aug. 1 drawing Day: 9-2-6-6 Night: 4-6-2-3 Check Pick 4 payouts and previous drawings here. Winning Lucky For Life numbers from Aug. 1 drawing 08-20-22-24-36, Lucky Ball: 15 Check Lucky For Life payouts and previous drawings here. Winning Idaho Cash numbers from Aug. 1 drawing 09-12-13-28-39 Check Idaho Cash payouts and previous drawings here. Feeling lucky? Explore the latest lottery news & results When are the Idaho Lottery drawings held ? Winning lottery numbers are sponsored by Jackpocket, the official digital lottery courier of the USA TODAY Network. Where can you buy lottery tickets? Tickets can be purchased in person at gas stations, convenience stores and grocery stores. Some airport terminals may also sell lottery tickets. You can also order tickets online through Jackpocket, the official digital lottery courier of the USA TODAY Network, in these U.S. states and territories: Arizona, Arkansas, Colorado, Idaho, Maine, Massachusetts, Minnesota, Montana, Nebraska, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Oregon, Puerto Rico, Washington D.C., and West Virginia. The Jackpocket app allows you to pick your lottery game and numbers, place your order, see your ticket and collect your winnings all using your phone or home computer. Jackpocket is the official digital lottery courier of the USA TODAY Network. Gannett may earn revenue for audience referrals to Jackpocket services. GAMBLING PROBLEM? CALL 1-800-GAMBLER, Call 877-8-HOPENY/text HOPENY (467369) (NY). 18+ (19+ in NE, 21+ in AZ). Physically present where Jackpocket operates. Jackpocket is not affiliated with any State Lottery. Eligibility Restrictions apply. Void where prohibited. Terms: This results page was generated automatically using information from TinBu and a template written and reviewed by a USA Today editor. You can send feedback using this form.


USA Today
3 hours ago
- USA Today
Maine Lottery results: See winning numbers for Mega Millions, Pick 3 on Aug. 1, 2025
The Maine Lottery offers several games for those aiming to win big. You can pick from national lottery games, like the Powerball and Mega Millions, or a variety of local and regional games, like the Pick 3, Pick 4 and Gimme 5. While your odds of winning a big jackpot in the Powerball or Mega Millions are generally pretty slim (here's how they compare to being struck by lightning or dealt a royal flush), other games offer better odds to win cash, albeit with lower prize amounts. Here's a look at Friday, Aug. 1, 2025 results for each game: Winning Mega Millions numbers from Aug. 1 drawing 18-27-29-33-70, Mega Ball: 22 Check Mega Millions payouts and previous drawings here. Winning Pick 3 numbers from Aug. 1 drawing Day: 6-2-3 Evening: 9-0-6 Check Pick 3 payouts and previous drawings here. Winning Pick 4 numbers from Aug. 1 drawing Day: 6-1-9-2 Evening: 2-2-4-7 Check Pick 4 payouts and previous drawings here. Winning Lucky For Life numbers from Aug. 1 drawing 08-20-22-24-36, Lucky Ball: 15 Check Lucky For Life payouts and previous drawings here. Winning Gimme 5 numbers from Aug. 1 drawing 16-17-20-22-35 Check Gimme 5 payouts and previous drawings here. Feeling lucky? Explore the latest lottery news & results When are the Maine Lottery drawings held? Winning lottery numbers are sponsored by Jackpocket, the official digital lottery courier of the USA TODAY Network. Where can you buy lottery tickets? Tickets can be purchased in person at gas stations, convenience stores and grocery stores. Some airport terminals may also sell lottery tickets. You can also order tickets online through Jackpocket, the official digital lottery courier of the USA TODAY Network, in these U.S. states and territories: Arizona, Arkansas, Colorado, Idaho, Maine, Massachusetts, Minnesota, Montana, Nebraska, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Oregon, Puerto Rico, Washington D.C., and West Virginia. The Jackpocket app allows you to pick your lottery game and numbers, place your order, see your ticket and collect your winnings all using your phone or home computer. Jackpocket is the official digital lottery courier of the USA TODAY Network. Gannett may earn revenue for audience referrals to Jackpocket services. GAMBLING PROBLEM? CALL 1-800-GAMBLER, Call 877-8-HOPENY/text HOPENY (467369) (NY). 18+ (19+ in NE, 21+ in AZ). Physically present where Jackpocket operates. Jackpocket is not affiliated with any State Lottery. Eligibility Restrictions apply. Void where prohibited. Terms: This results page was generated automatically using information from TinBu and a template written and reviewed by a USA Today editor. You can send feedback using this form.