'The Price is Right' Contestant Sets New Record for Biggest Single-Game Win
Fans of the longest-running game show, The Price is Right,got to see history being made while tuning in for the Mother's Day episode on Friday, May 8. Vanessa from Virginia didn't know what was coming when she heard her name and the infamous line "Come on down!", but now, her life has been changed after winning a record-breaking prize while playing "The Lion's Share."
Vanessa won a whopping $240,000 while playing "The Lion's Share" on Friday's episode, making her the biggest winner in a single game in the history of The Price Is Right. Before her big win, the record was set when Michael Stouber pulled in $202,000 playing "Plinko" during a "Big Money Week" episode on October 14, 2019.
"From ‘Come on Down' to playing ‘The Lion's Share,' it all felt so surreal - a dream moment that only kept getting bigger. I was nervous, excited and everything at once. Winning over $200,000 is life changing. I plan to invest wisely, enjoy a little and treat my mom to a special surprise," said Vanesa after her big win.
"The Lion's Share" is the first custom-branded game, sponsored by BetMGM, to appear on The Price is Right. The new game made its debut on Sept. 22, 2025, during the Season 54 premiere episode, and the first person to play it, Marian, won a trip to Tokyo, a hot tub, two guitars, and cash.
The maximum cash prize that can be won playing "The Lion's Share" is $500,000. To kick off the game, the player is shown a series of small items and a two-digit number for each of them. They are asked to determine if that price is "true" or "false" and, if correct, they will earn a ball. Up to five balls can be won in that part of the game and then, the contestant moves on to "The Wind Chamber," where they will have 30 seconds to grab however many balls they won from the 40 balls that are flying around inside the clear chamber.
The third phase of the game is where the contestant gets a chance to reveal their balls, in order and they must be strategic. They can choose to stop at any time and leave with what they have won so far, or continue revealing balls. However, there are five balls in the chamber that say "Lose It All" and if one of those pops up during the reveal, they will lose everything they have won so far in the game. The remaining balls are marked with cash prizes and other items like cars, boats, and trips.
Now that BetMGM's game "The Lion's Share" has made Vanessa from Virginia the new record-holder on The Price is Right, it will be interesting to see how long she holds the title.
The Price is Right, hosted by Drew Carey, airs weekdays on CBS and streams on Paramount+.
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This story was originally published May 8, 2026 at 3:00 PM.