A 57-year-old Michigan woman says a slip of the finger on her online Fantasy 5 play turned into a six-figure windfall, netting her $251,738 in the March 13 drawing. She matched all five winning numbers, 08, 10, 11, 22 and 39, then quietly claimed the prize and asked to remain anonymous. Her plans for the cash are about as low-drama as it gets: she told lottery officials she is parking the entire haul in a savings account.
The winning ticket and payout were confirmed by the Michigan Lottery, which reported that the selection was purchased online and the claim processed after the draw. Fantasy 5 payouts vary by prize pool and number of winners, and this particular pick hit the full mid-range jackpot for that night.
One Wrong Number, One Big Win
The winner told officials she spent the aftermath in a daze at home. She said she “paced her house for several hours trying to wrap her head around it” after realizing she had all five numbers, according to MLive.
Her lucky break came down to a single mis-tap. She explained that she meant to choose 47 but accidentally clicked 39 while filling out her online play slip, MLive reports. That “mistake” ended up matching the final number in the winning sequence and turning a routine ticket into a life-changing one.
How Fantasy 5 Works
Fantasy 5 drawings are held every night at 7:29 p.m., according to the Michigan Lottery, giving players daily shots at a mid-sized jackpot. Tickets are available at retailers across the state or through the Lottery’s online service, where players pick their own numbers or let the system choose for them.
For the March 13 draw, the ticket that hit 08, 10, 11, 22 and 39 landed the $251,738 top prize, per the Lottery’s winner notice. Officials routinely remind players that once an online purchase is submitted it is final, so those last taps deserve a second look.
Keeping Quiet, Banking the Cash
The winner plans to keep things under wraps and avoid a big public splash. She told MLive she intends to tuck the entire prize into a savings account and otherwise keep her good fortune private.
Lottery officials use her story as a reminder that online entries are locked in once confirmed, which is usually a warning. In this case, that “wrong” number proved, in her words, that sometimes luck is just one tap away.
