(WWJ) It's a good thing he double checked his ticket, because it was headed for the trash.
The Michigan Lottery says a Mid-Michigan man drove around with what he thought was a losing scratch-off ticket for four months, before realizing it was a $2 million winner.
The 29-year-old player Isabella County resident, who chose to remain anonymous, bought his winning Money ticket at Shepherd E-Z Mart, located at 550 East Wright Avenue in Shepherd, about 10 miles southeast of Mount Pleasant.
“Every so often I will stop and buy an instant ticket after work,” the player said, in a media release. “About four months ago, I bought this Money ticket, but I didn’t see any winnings on it when I scratched it, so I threw it in my center console with some other non-winning tickets.
“About a week ago, my wife gave me a few tickets to take to the store and check, so I grabbed the tickets in my center console to double check. When I scanned the Money ticket, I got a message to file a claim at the Lottery office. I went back out to my truck to look the ticket over and realized I’d matched number 13. When I revealed the ‘$2 MIL’ symbol underneath, I was speechless. It is a miracle this ticket didn’t end up in the trash!”
The lucky player recently visited Lottery headquarters to claim the big prize. He chose to receive his prize as a one-time lump sum payment of about $1.3 million, rather than annuity payments for the full amount. He plans to invest his winnings.
“I don’t plan on making any big purchases with the money, but rather use it as a nice financial cushion for our family,” the player said.
In 2022, Lottery players won more than $1.7 billion playing instant games, which can be purchased at any of the 10,500 retailers across the state.
Remember: Never gamble more money than you can afford to lose. Facing a gambling problem can feel overwhelming, and like there is no way out. If think you may need help, or just want to talk to someone, call the Michigan Problem Gambling Helpline at 1-800-270-7117.
Listen and subscribe to The L.A. Local podcast: your TL;DR for what's happening in Southern California
Follow KNX News 97.1 FM
Twitter | Facebook | Instagram | TikTok