A Michigan man thought maybe he was in the middle of a prank when he was told he won $4 million on a Michigan Lottery scratch off ticket.
The 54-year-old man, who chose to remain anonymous, bought the winning ticket at the Citgo gas station, located at 3895 Plainfield Avenue Northeast in Grand Rapids.
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“I won $50 on an instant game, and wanted to reinvest my winnings,” said the 54-year-old player. “The store was sold out of the $50 instant games, so I decided on a $30 ticket instead.
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“When I scratched the ticket and saw I’d won $4 million, the first thing I did was call my brother. He told me to make sure it wasn’t one of those prank lottery tickets, so I flipped it over and read through the fine print on the back. Once I confirmed it indeed was not a prank, I called the Lottery to have them confirm the prize as well.”
He chose to receive his prize as a one-time lump sum payment of about $2.7 million, rather than 30 annuity payments for the full amount. With his winnings, the player plans to pay bills and travel.
“Winning still feels unreal, but I think it’s really going to sink in once I cash my check,” the player said.
In 2022, Lottery players won more than $1.7 billion playing instant games.
