Mass State Lottery: $100,000 Prize Sold at Shell Gas Station
A Massachusetts State Lottery instant ticket worth $100,000 was recently sold at a Shell gas station, continuing the trend of significant lottery wins at fuel retailers throughout the Commonwealth, according to state lottery officials.
The winning ticket represents one of dozens of substantial prizes claimed in Massachusetts so far this year, as scratch ticket sales remain a cornerstone of the state’s lottery revenue stream.
Gas Stations Emerge as Lucky Locations
The Shell gas station that sold the $100,000 winning ticket joins a growing list of fuel retailers across Massachusetts that have sold significant winning lottery tickets in recent months. This pattern highlights how convenience purchases at gas stations often include lottery tickets, creating a steady stream of winners from these locations.
Just last month, a $1 million winning scratch ticket was sold at a Gulf station in Woburn, while earlier this year, a Dorchester resident claimed a $4 million prize from a ticket purchased at Mike’s Fuel & Food Mart on Trapelo Road in Waltham, according to Massachusetts State Lottery records.
These gas station lottery wins aren’t limited to Massachusetts, with similar patterns observed in neighboring states. In New Jersey, a $1 million Ultimate Spectacular scratch ticket was sold at a Shell station on Hooper Avenue in Toms River on April 1, 2025.
Prize Claim Process
Massachusetts lottery winners claiming prizes of $100,000 face specific procedures established by the state lottery commission. Winners must complete a claim form and provide valid identification, including a Social Security number for tax reporting purposes.
For prizes of this magnitude, winners must claim their prize at one of the Massachusetts State Lottery’s claim centers, as retailers are only authorized to pay prizes up to $600. Many winners of substantial amounts choose to establish trusts for privacy protection when claiming their winnings.
Winners have one year from the date of the drawing or the announced end date for instant games to claim their prizes before they expire and are returned to the prize pool.
Financial Impact of Winning
A $100,000 lottery prize, while not reaching the headline-grabbing levels of multi-million dollar jackpots, still represents a significant financial windfall for most winners. After federal and state tax withholdings, which in Massachusetts include a 24% federal tax and 5% state tax, winners take home approximately 71% of their prize amount.
Financial advisors typically recommend that lottery winners of significant amounts develop a financial plan before spending or investing their windfall, ideally consulting with financial professionals about tax implications and long-term investment strategies.
Many winners opt to pay off existing debts, establish emergency funds, and make targeted investments rather than making immediate lifestyle changes that could quickly deplete their winnings.
Retailer Benefits
The Shell gas station that sold the winning ticket will receive a bonus commission from the Massachusetts State Lottery Commission. While smaller than the bonuses for multi-million dollar tickets, these commissions provide important additional revenue for lottery retailers.
For retailers, selling winning tickets also generates valuable publicity and increased customer traffic, as lottery players often seek out locations with histories of producing winners. This “lucky store” phenomenon can boost both lottery sales and associated convenience purchases.
The Massachusetts State Lottery maintains a robust retailer incentive program to encourage active promotion of lottery products, recognizing that retailer engagement is crucial to maintaining strong sales figures.
Massachusetts Lottery Performance
The Massachusetts Lottery continues to be one of the most successful state lottery programs in the nation, consistently generating strong per capita sales and returning substantial profits to the Commonwealth’s 351 cities and towns in the form of unrestricted local aid.
In fiscal year 2024, the Massachusetts State Lottery generated more than $5.3 billion in revenue, returning approximately $1 billion to municipalities across the state. This funding supports essential local services and helps stabilize property tax rates in communities throughout Massachusetts.
The lottery’s instant ticket games, which include the ticket that produced this $100,000 winner, account for approximately 70% of total lottery sales in Massachusetts, making them the backbone of the lottery’s product portfolio.
Instant Ticket Game Structure
The Massachusetts State Lottery offers dozens of different instant ticket games at any given time, with price points ranging from $1 to $50 and prizes spanning from modest $1 awards to life-changing multi-million dollar top prizes.
Each game features a predetermined number of prizes at various levels, with games remaining on sale until all top prizes are claimed or until the lottery announces the game’s end date. The odds of winning any prize in these games typically range from 1 in 3 to 1 in 4.5, depending on the specific game structure.
Statistics from the Massachusetts State Lottery indicate that instant ticket games have created hundreds of millionaires since their introduction, with thousands more players winning prizes in the $100,000 to $500,000 range annually.
Responsible Play Emphasis
The Massachusetts State Lottery continues to emphasize responsible play in all its communications, noting that lottery games should be played for entertainment rather than as financial investments or income strategies.
The lottery’s “Play Smart” initiative provides resources for players who may be developing problematic gambling behaviors, including a voluntary self-exclusion program and partnerships with organizations that provide counseling for problem gamblers.
Lottery officials recommend that players set and stick to entertainment budgets when purchasing tickets, never spending more than they can afford to lose on games of chance.
