A Wayne County man was stunned to learn he’d won half a million dollars after recently buying a last-minute lottery ticket, Michigan Lottery officials said.
The 58-year-old player, who opted to remain anonymous, bought the winning Emerald 7s instant game ticket at a Kroger on West 14 Mile Road in Commerce Township, officials said.
He was on his way out of the store, which was closing soon, when he stopped by the lottery machine to buy a few tickets.
“When one came back with a message to file a claim, the worker told me I must have won big, so I got out my phone and scanned it using the Michigan Lottery app,” the man said, according to Michigan Lottery Connect. “As soon as I scanned it, she asked what was wrong because of the look on my face, so I told her I’d won $50,000. I looked down at my phone again and that’s when I realized it actually said $500,000!”
The man said he was so excited he had to sit in his car and calm down before driving home. He plans to use his winnings to pay bills but hasn’t yet decided what to do with the remainder.
Lottery officials said players have won more than $2 million playing Emerald 7s, a new game that launched this month. Each $5 ticket gives players a chance to win prizes ranging from $5 to $500,000. More than $19 million in prizes remain, including two top prizes.
Odds of winning any prize are 1 in 4.12, according to the lottery.
mreinhart@detroitnews.com
This article originally appeared on The Detroit News: Michigan man wins $500,000 playing new Michigan scratch-off game
Reporting by Max Reinhart, The Detroit News / The Detroit News
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
By Max Reinhart, The Detroit News | USA TODAY Network
