A Whitefish man has won a half million dollars for a winning scratch ticket.

Russell Wick claimed the $500,000 prize Tuesday with the wining ticket purchased at Town Pump in Kalispell.

Wick, who is retired, earned the top prize in the Scratch game. He told Montana Lottery officials he scratched off a “5” and, hoping he won more, continued scratching off zeros all the way to a $500,000 win.

He said he enjoys playing Scratch games, but also buys Hot Lotto tickets. This is his first lottery win.

Wick plans to seek out a financial adviser and so some thinking before he spends his winnings. He advises other players to “keep playing, because it is the only way to win.”

The $500,000 Big Money scratch game debuted in July. The Montana Lottery was created by referendum in 1986. Since then, it has paid over $483 million in prizes and returned approximately $217 million to the State of Montana.