WAYNE COUNTY, Mich. — A Wayne County man owes his dad a visit after he won the state's largest online jackpot—while following his father's advice.
The 38-year-old player, who chose to remain anonymous, took home $7.19 million while playing Lotto 47 online.
“I have been playing Lotto 47 for a long time, and would always switch up my numbers,” said the player. “One day, my dad told me I should pick a set of numbers and stick with them, so that’s what I did. I purchased an online subscription and have been playing the same set of numbers for a few years."
Nothing could have prepared him for what he woke up to one morning.
“I saw an email from the Lottery saying I’d won a prize, so I logged into my Lottery account, and that’s when I saw $7.19 million pending," he said. "I was in total shock and instantly thought how my dad had been right!”
The player recently visited lottery headquarters to claim his prize. He chose to receive it as a lump sum payment of about $4.9 million. With his winnings, he plans to invest and contribute to his children’s college funds.
He said that winning "feels surreal," and that it still doesn't feel real.
Lottery Commissioner Suzanna Shkreli said this particular lottery win comes with "an incredible story."
“It’s not just the college funds of the winner’s children that will benefit from Lottery dollars," she said. "All of Michigan Lottery’s proceeds go to support public education programs in Michigan, and we are on track for a sixth consecutive contribution of more than $1 billion.”
Lotto 47 costs $1 to play and has a progressive jackpot that starts at $1 million and grows until someone matches all six numbers.
Lotto 47 drawings take place on Wednesday and Saturday at 7:29 p.m. Tickets may be purchased at a retailer or online at MichiganLottery.com until 7:08 p.m. on the day of the drawing.
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