The Biggest Instant-Win Prizes Ever Claimed

The biggest instant win prizes ever claimed in the United States top out at $25 million on a single scratch ticket — and three of those tickets came out of one Massachusetts game. The Massachusetts State Lottery’s $50 “Billion Dollar Extravaganza,” launched in 2023, carried three $25 million top prizes, all of which have now been claimed. Two winners stayed anonymous through trusts. The third did not.

That third winner was Desiree Fortini-Craft of Hyde Park, who bought her ticket at Baker Street Market in West Roxbury. As reported by The Boston Globe and CBS Boston in December 2023, she took the one-time payment of $16,250,000 before taxes. It was not her first instant win — she had collected $1 million on another instant ticket in 2006, according to the Massachusetts State Lottery.

Below is what the record actually looks like, verified against lottery announcements, court filings, and news reporting. You will also find what happened after the checks cleared, because that is usually the part nobody tells you.

What Counts Among the Biggest Instant Win Prizes

“Instant win” covers more ground than most people assume. It includes scratch-off tickets where the prize is printed under the latex, second-chance instant games run by state lotteries, and sweepstakes with instant-win mechanics run by companies like Publishers Clearing House.

The biggest instant win prizes in the scratch-off category are capped by what a state is willing to print. Most states top out well under $10 million. A handful — Massachusetts, Florida, New York, Texas — have gone to $25 million on premium $50 tickets.

Sweepstakes work differently. There, the biggest instant win prizes are often structured as “forever” payouts rather than lump sums, which changes the math and, as recent events showed, the risk.

The $25 Million Massachusetts Record

The Massachusetts “Billion Dollar Extravaganza” ticket cost $50. Each of its three top prizes was $25 million, payable either as an annuity or as a discounted one-time payment of $16,250,000 before taxes.

The first prize was claimed by trustee Marco Schiavo of the Simmons & Schiavo Lottery Trust, according to CBS Boston. The second went to a trust represented by attorney Thomas Percy. Massachusetts allows winners to claim through a trust, which is why two of the three names were never made public.

Fortini-Craft claimed the last one in December 2023, joined by her fiancé Jason Perkins at Lottery headquarters in Dorchester. She told officials she planned to pay off student loans for her three daughters, as reported by Boston 25 News and the Massachusetts State Lottery.

Florida Matched the Record in 2025

Florida joined the $25 million club in April 2025. Kyle Lindquist, 45, of Venice bought a $50 “500X THE CASH” ticket at a Circle K on U.S. Highway 41 Bypass South in Sarasota County and hit the top prize.

According to the Florida Lottery’s announcement, Lindquist claimed at the Fort Myers District Office and chose a one-time lump sum of $16 million. The Circle K that sold the ticket received a $50,000 bonus commission — standard retailer compensation in Florida.

The odds matter here, and they come straight from the Florida Lottery: 1 in 21,920,355 for that top prize. That is the honest scale of the biggest instant win prizes. They exist, they get paid, and almost nobody gets one.

What Happened After the Wins

Lump-sum winners face immediate federal withholding. Under IRS rules, sweepstakes and lottery proceeds over $5,000 are subject to 24% federal income tax withholding, reported on Form W-2G. That withholding is not the final tax bill — it is a down payment against what the winner ultimately owes at their actual rate.

So a $16 million lump sum is not $16 million in hand. State treatment varies too. Florida has no state income tax on the win; Massachusetts does. Neither state discloses what any individual winner finally paid.

Fortini-Craft returned to Baker Street Market after her win and, as CBS Boston reported, won again on another ticket — a smaller prize, but a documented one. Beyond publicly reported facts like that, there is little verified information about how these particular winners have lived since, and this article will not fill that gap with guesses.

The Publishers Clearing House Story Nobody Expected

Some of the biggest instant win prizes in sweepstakes history were never a single check. Publishers Clearing House built its brand on “forever” prizes — $5,000 a week for life, later $7,000 a week for life — delivered by the Prize Patrol with balloons and an oversized check. The Prize Patrol format launched in 1989.

Those prizes were real and were paid for decades. Then the company’s finances collapsed. Publishers Clearing House filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy on April 9, 2025. Company revenue had fallen from $854 million in 2017 to $182 million by 2023.

In July 2025, ARB Interactive purchased core PCH assets for $7.1 million. As CNN Business reported in September 2025, the terms of that sale left the buyer responsible only for prizes awarded on or after July 15, 2025. Winners of earlier “forever” prizes saw payments stop. One winner promised $5,000 a week told CNN his expected annual check of $260,000 did not arrive in January.

Separately, the Federal Trade Commission sued PCH over its sweepstakes marketing. Under a court order announced by the FTC in June 2023, PCH agreed to pay $18.5 million and change how it runs its site. The FTC alleged PCH used “dark patterns” to make consumers believe a purchase was necessary to enter or would improve their odds. In April 2025, the FTC announced it had sent more than $18 million in refunds to affected consumers.

Two things are worth keeping separate. The FTC action and the bankruptcy involve the real company. Scammers also impersonate Publishers Clearing House by phone and email, frequently invoking the $7,000-a-week figure, and demand payment to “release” a prize. The FTC’s guidance is consistent: a legitimate sweepstakes never requires payment to claim a prize.

How the Biggest Instant Win Prizes Are Actually Paid

The pattern is consistent. The number on the ticket is the annuity value. The cash option is roughly 64–65% of it before any tax is withheld. Every state publishes its own cash-option formula in the game’s official rules.

What Winners Can Learn From This

The documented record supports a few plain observations. Winners of the biggest instant win prizes overwhelmingly take the lump sum, and the advertised headline number is not the amount received. Several states, including Massachusetts, permit claims through a trust, and multiple $25 million winners used that route.

The PCH bankruptcy demonstrated something else: a lifetime payment stream depends on the payer remaining solvent. That was not a hypothetical risk. It happened in 2025, in federal bankruptcy court, to people who had won years earlier.

If you ever hold a large winning ticket, the rules that apply to you are the ones printed in that specific game’s official rules and enforced by that state’s lottery. Tax questions belong with the IRS or a licensed professional. If you receive government benefits, reporting requirements generally apply to prize income, and how a win affects your case depends on the program and your circumstances — the administering agency is the only source that can answer for your situation.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the largest instant win scratch-off prize ever claimed?

$25 million, claimed multiple times — three times in the Massachusetts “Billion Dollar Extravaganza” game and once by Kyle Lindquist in Florida’s “500X THE CASH” in April 2025.

Do winners get the full advertised amount?

Not if they take cash. Massachusetts paid $16,250,000 and Florida paid $16,000,000 on $25 million prizes, both before taxes. IRS rules require 24% federal withholding on lottery and sweepstakes proceeds over $5,000.

Are Publishers Clearing House prizes real?

PCH awarded real prizes for decades. The company filed Chapter 11 in April 2025, and per CNN’s reporting, payments on pre-July 2025 “forever” prizes stopped after the asset sale. Separately, callers impersonating PCH and demanding fees are scams — legitimate sweepstakes never require payment.

What are the odds on these tickets?

The Florida Lottery published odds of 1 in 21,920,355 for the $25 million top prize on “500X THE CASH.” Every state prints top-prize odds in each game’s official rules.

Know the Rules Where You Live

Sweepstakes and prize rules change from state to state — what a sponsor can offer, how prizes are handled, and what protections you have. Pick your state to see the exact rules that apply where you live.

See Sweepstakes Laws in All 50 States →

Sources & How to Verify

The facts on this page are drawn from official government and primary sources. Rules and figures change, so always confirm the current details with the official agency or the promotion’s own published rules.

• FTC Consumer Advice: consumer.ftc.gov — prize, sweepstakes, and lottery scam guidance
• IRS: irs.gov — how prizes and winnings are treated as income
• Social Security Administration: ssa.gov — what SSI recipients must report
• The promotion’s official rules: every legitimate sweepstakes publishes them — the rules page is always the final word

Content last reviewed August 2026. If you notice outdated information, please contact us.

Related Guides

• Sweepstakes Laws by State (50-State Guide)
• More in This Category
• Sweepstakes Resources
• Scam Checks
• Sweepstakes Tax Calculator
• All Active Sweepstakes

Informational only — not legal, tax, or financial advice. Win Big Daily is an independent educational resource. Prize rules, tax treatment, and benefit-program requirements vary by state and program and change over time, so always verify the current details with the official agency, the promotion’s published rules, or a qualified professional before acting. If a topic involves government benefits, contact the program office about your specific situation.