Retired Army Veteran Sets Price Is Right Pricing Game Record with $240,150 Win

A contestant on The Price Is Right set a new daytime record by winning the largest single pricing game prize in the show's 54-year history.

Vanesa McCaskell, a retired Army veteran from Virginia, took home more than $240,150 in cash and prizes during the CBS series' special Mother's Day episode on Friday. The win came in The Lion's Share, a high-stakes game branded by BetMGM.

McCaskell walked away with $227,500 in cash and a trip to Morocco worth $12,650. Her total surpassed the previous single pricing-game record of $210,000, set by Christen Freeman in 2016 during Cliff Hangers.

"From ‘Come on Down’ to playing ‘The Lion’s Share,’ it all felt so surreal – a dream moment that only kept getting bigger," McCaskell said in a statement.

"I was nervous, excited and everything at once," she added. "Winning over $200,000 is life changing. I plan to invest wisely, enjoy a little and treat my mom to a special surprise."

The Lion's Share, created by the show's production company Fremantle in partnership with BetMGM, debuted in the first episode of season 54 in September 2025. Contestants can win up to $500,000 in cash and prizes.

Players guess prices of grocery items to earn up to five balls, which drop into a wind-tunnel chamber to reveal prizes. After each reveal, they decide to walk away or risk it all on a potential "lose it all" ball.

McCaskell played aggressively as her daughter cheered from the audience. She won $2,500 in the first round, then continued and got $25,000. She advanced to the third round and won $100,000.

With two balls left and $127,500 total, McCaskell kept going. "The last two numbers are my daughter’s birthday," she told host Drew Carey. "I have to go."

"For you, baby," she said, pointing to her daughter.

She won another $100,000, leaving her daughter jumping in the crowd. "Vanesa, we’re almost up to a quarter-million dollars," Carey said. "One more ball to go."

"I have to believe," McCaskell replied, trembling.

The final prize was a mother-daughter trip to Morocco valued at $12,650. As McCaskell celebrated $240,150 total, Carey said, "Nice job. What a haul," shook her hand and wished her a happy retirement.

The Lion's Share is the first custom-branded game in The Price Is Right's history and the first new pricing game since 2021, according to BetMGM and Fremantle.

In January 2025, BetMGM and Fremantle signed a multi-year deal giving BetMGM exclusive rights to use The Price Is Right and Family Feud intellectual property for online casino content. It includes sponsorships like The Lion’s Share.

"Our partnership with Fremantle was designed to bring the thrill of BetMGM gameplay to life on one of television’s most iconic game shows," BetMGM chief revenue officer Matt Prevost said. "That vision was delivered in a historic way during Vanesa’s record-breaking win on ‘The Lion’s Share.’"

"It’s always an exciting moment when we introduce a new game, and ‘The Lion’s Share’ is already delivering in a big way," Fremantle exec VP of partnership solutions Erica Gadecki said.

The record for highest total winnings in a single episode remains $262,743, set by Michael Stouber in a 2019 Big Money Week episode.