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Michigan Lottery: Man wins $4M on scratch off ticket, thought it was a prank

Winning ticket bought at gas station in Grand Rapids

Kent County man wins $4M on this ticket up here, wow! (Michigan Lottery)

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.

---> Related: Father-son duo in Macomb County wins $150,000 lottery prize

“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.


About the Author
Ken Haddad headshot

Ken Haddad has been with Local 4/ClickOnDetroit since 2013. He helps lead news coverage and content across broadcast and digital platforms. He's from the Metro Detroit area, and loves covering important news (and sports) in his hometown.