Scribner resident claims first grand prize in Nebraska Lottery’s 30th edition of Truck$ and Buck$ scratch game

Scribner, Nebraska – Penny Miller of Scribner got more than she expected when she picked up a few scratch tickets from her local gas station — she became the proud owner of a brand-new 2025 Ford F-150 XLT truck.

The ticket that changed everything was purchased at Scribner Express, located at 205 Railroad Street. On Monday, March 31, Nebraska Lottery officials presented Miller with the keys to her new truck, making her the first top-prize winner in the 30th edition of the Nebraska Lottery’s $2 Truck$ & Buck$ Scratch game.

Miller, a self-proclaimed fan of the scratch game, admitted she looks forward to its return each year. The gap between editions always leaves her a little disappointed, she said, so when the game returned this February, she didn’t waste any time.

With several tickets in hand, she headed home and started scratching. That’s when something unusual caught her eye — three matching symbols in a row, followed by a truck symbol.

“I just kind of sat there for a minute,” she said. “I wasn’t 100 percent sure I actually won until I sent a picture to my friend and she looked at it too.”

Even after winning the top prize, Miller said she’s not done playing. In fact, she bought more tickets the same day she received her new truck. The timing may have been ironic, though — she had just purchased a new vehicle about a month earlier. Her plan now?

“I think I’m going to hang on to both of them,” she said. “Just enjoy that two-car life for a while.”

The 30th edition of Truck$ & Buck$ offers players the chance to win one of eight 2025 Ford F-150 XLT trucks or one of thousands of cash prizes. Each truck prize has a total value of $79,000, which includes taxes and ownership-related costs. This includes $1,103 for additional expenses, and tax withholdings paid by the Nebraska Lottery of $3,950 in state and $18,960 in federal taxes.

The odds of winning the truck are 1 in 336,000, while the overall odds of winning any prize in the game stand at 1 in 3.69.

With her win, Miller joins a long list of Truck$ & Buck$ champions, and her story serves as a reminder that a little luck can go a long way — sometimes all the way to a new set of wheels.