A Genesee County woman found out just how true “no risk, no reward” can be after a small lottery win snowballed into a massive payday.
The 39-year-old, who chose to remain anonymous, was already in a celebratory mood while out for Cinco de Mayo with a friend. She hadn’t intended to buy any tickets, but a last-minute stop ended up changing everything—turning a modest $30 into a $1 million prize.
“I play lottery games a lot, but I actually wasn’t planning on stopping to buy tickets that day,” the 39-year-old, who wishes to remain anonymous said, as per a news release from Michigan Lottery. “I went out with a friend for Cinco de Mayo, and after she suggested we stop to buy tickets, so we did.”
Her first ticket brought in a $30 win. Instead of cashing out and calling it a day, she put the money straight back into the game, buying two more tickets. That decision turned out to be the one she’d remember forever.
“I scratched them in the store and ran out to my car crying when I saw I’d won $1 million. It was unreal! I’m still trying to process it,” she said.
For anyone tempted to try their luck in the same spot, the Michigan Lottery release says the winning ticket was purchased at Liquor Wheel, 4117 Clio Road in Flint.
She later claimed the prize at Michigan Lottery headquarters and chose the lump-sum option rather than receiving annuity payments over time.
After the lump-sum selection, her total payout came to about $693,000. She said she wants to use the money to buy her parents a house and a car, then save what’s left.
The scratch-off was Michigan Lottery’s Lucky Stars Instant Game, which costs $5 per play.
Not a bad result from an unplanned stop.
And while this win happened in Michigan, the “luckiest” place to play depends on the game and the numbers. Earlier this year, USA Today Money reported that among states participating in Powerball, Maine, Mississippi, North Dakota, and Wyoming had not yet produced a winner.
Meanwhile, Indiana was reported to have the most Powerball winners since the game began in 1992.