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Another $25 million scratch ticket grand prize sold, this time in West Roxbury

Desiree Fortini-Craft won big with a $50 scratcher ticket called the “Billion Dollar Extravaganza."

By Molly Farrar

December 4, 2023

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A Hyde Park woman claimed a $25 million scratch-off lottery prize Friday that was sold in West Roxbury, the final of three grand prizes in the state’s largest instant prize, Mass Lottery announced.

Desiree Fortini-Craft won the $50 scratcher ticket “Billion Dollar Extravaganza,” Mass Lottery’s new game launched in February of this year. Fortini-Craft claimed the third and final $25 million prize after an anonymous person won with a ticket sold in Fall River last week.

The final winning ticket of the game was purchased at Baker Street Market in West Roxbury, which will receive a $50,000 bonus for selling the ticket.

Fortini-Craft opted for the one-time prize of $16.25 million instead of 1.25 million a year for 20 years. She claimed the prize with her fiancé Jason Perkins; the couple plans to spend the Christmas holidays in Aruba. She’s also going to use the money to pay off student loans for her three daughters and buy a new car, the announcement said.

Fortini-Craft’s good luck isn’t new — she also won a $1 million instant prize in 2006.

While the grand prizes are claimed, “Billion Dollar Extravaganza” will remain in stores with four $2 million prizes, seven $1 million prizes, and a scattering of awards down to $100 left to be won. With the highest payout percentage of any Mass Lottery game, the overall odds is about 1 in 4.50.