An Oakland County man is swimming in cash after scratching his way to a $1 million Michigan Lottery win. The 59-year-old, opting for anonymity, struck gold when he purchased the winning scratch-off from the local Meijer store at 1703 Haggerty Road in Commerce Township. His lucky streak began modestly, with a $100 win that set the stage for his million-dollar windfall. "I bought four tickets and won $100, so I used some of my winnings to purchase more tickets, including this $1,000,000 Cash Multiplier ticket," the new millionaire told officials, according to The Oakland Press.
His unbelievable luck unfurled as he scanned the winning ticket with the Michigan Lottery app. Initially believing he hit a snag, he recounted the surreal moment to Fox 2 Detroit: "When confetti came up on the screen with a prize of $1 million, I thought the scanner was broken." After scratching off the full ticket, his one-in-a-million chance became crystal clear. "I scratched off the full ticket and that’s when I saw I really did win. It was awesome!" he said.
The winner has decided to take the prize money as a one-time lump sum payment of about $693,000 before swapping annuity payments for the full amount. Originally planned for retirement, he's now set on buying a pool-equipped house and extending his stroke of luck to others, dreaming of sponsoring a child overseas. Mid-Michigan NOW reported on his post-win plans.
The Cash Multiplier game, launched in January, boasts $9 million in prizes already claimed, according to recent reports. Still up for grabs are more than $52 million in prizes, including two $1 million top prizes and a constellation of $5,000 prizes. After visiting Lottery headquarters to claim his grand prize, each ticket, which costs $10, remains a potential golden ticket for the hopefuls and dreamers stumbling upon their fortune at their local Meijer, as the 59-year-old winner demonstrated.
