DETROIT (WWJ) - A 69-year-old Wayne County resident just couldn't believe it when she looked down at a scratch off ticket she had just purchased and saw she had won $1 million.
She looked once, took off her glasses, wiped them, and put them back on to read the ticket again.
After not having any luck playing her usual Ruby Red Wild Time game, the anonymous player said she purchased a $1,000 Large ticket at the 7 Mile and Tel Mini Mart located at 23540 West 7 Mile Road in Detroit.
"I scratched the ticket when I got home, and I couldn't believe my eyes," she said via the Michigan Lotto. "I took my glasses off to clean them because I thought for sure I was misreading the ticket. When I put them back on and I looked the ticket over again, my eyes filled with tears of joy!"
Officials said the woman recently went to Michigan Lotto headquarters to claim her prize, opting for a one-time lump sum payment of roughly $693,000, rather than annuity payments for the full amount.
The Michigan Lotto said the $1,000 Large game has paid out more than $15 million to players since it launched in May of 2023.
"Each $10 ticket offers players a chance to win prizes ranging from $10 up to $1 million," officials stated. "More than $37 million in prizes remain, including two $1 million top prizes and 2,581 $1,000."
Lotto tickets can be purchased at any of the 10.500 retailers across Michigan. Last year, officials said players took home more than $1.7 billion in winnings by playing instant games.
While players are winning big, officials say it's the state School Aid Fund that really benefits when you chose to buy a lotto ticket.
"About 97 cents of every dollar spent on Lottery tickets is returned to the state in the form of contributions to the state School Aid Fund, prizes to players, and commissions to vendors and retailers," the Michigan Lotto added.
The Lottery paid out more than $1.248 billion for Michigan's public schools in the 2022 fiscal year. It is the Lotto's fourth contribution of more than $1 billion.
Officials stated that the Lottery has contributed more than $27 billion to support public education in Michigan since it began in 1972.
For additional information, follow the Michigan Lottery on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and online at www.michiganlottery.com.
