$1 million Ohio Lottery scratch-off prize claimed by trust

A trust has claimed the $1 million top prize on the Ohio Lottery's $20 $1,000,000 Cashword scratch-off, the Ohio Lottery said. Trustee Michele Rice claimed it on behalf of The Sunshine Holdings II Trust. The winning ticket was bought at S & G #88, 8256 W. Central Ave. in Toledo.

The $1 million top prize is an annuity and pays $40,000 a year for 25 years. The trust chose the one-time cash option of $500,000 instead, half the advertised amount. After the mandatory 26.75% in tax withholdings, it will receive $366,250. The lottery did not identify when it was won.

Claiming through a trust keeps the winner's name out of the lottery's announcement, and Ohio has seen it before. In September, a trust claimed a Millionaire for Life jackpot and took an $18 million cash option.

$1,000,000 Cashword went on sale in November 2025 with four top prizes in a run of about 4 million tickets, about 1 in 1 million each. With this one claimed, one is left, as of October 9, according to the lottery. One prize each of $50,000 and $10,000 also remains. About 77% of the tickets have sold, so a ticket bought now has roughly a 1 in 916,000 chance at the last top prize. The game returns 74.9% of sales as prizes, counting the top prize at its annuity value, and rates 64.1 on our ValueScore™, sixth among Ohio's eight active $20 games. Toledo produced another big scratch-off win this year when a man won $1 million on Millionaire Blowout and then $25,000 on his next ticket.

Sources

Ohio Lottery: $1 million Scratch-Off prize claimed by trust

FOX 8 Cleveland: $1 million Ohio Lottery prize finally claimed