Wayne County Man Wins $500K Playing Michigan Lottery Instant Game

ROSEVILLE, MI — A Wayne County man won hundreds of thousands of dollars playing the Michigan Lottery’s Blizzard Bucks instant game.

The man, who chose to remain anonymous, bought several tickets at a Mobil gas station in Roseville, about 20 miles northeast of Detroit, lottery officials said.

When he got home, he couldn't believe what he saw.

“When I got home, I started scratching them off. I won $500 on one and then started scratching the Blizzard Bucks ticket next. I saw the $500,000 prize right away and didn’t believe what I was seeing, so I set it aside for a few hours."

He showed a friend the tickets to ensure he wasn't mistaken. It was no mistake.

“Later that night, I had my friend look it over and she couldn’t believe what she was seeing either. After a sleepless night, I took the ticket to a retailer early the next morning. When I got the message to file a claim, I knew it was real!”

The man claimed his prize at lottery headquarters and said he plans to pay off his bills and save the rest.

“Winning is life-changing. It feels like a weight has been lifted off my shoulders knowing I can pay all my bills and still have a large amount of money to put in the bank as a financial cushion,” he said.

The win comes days after an Oakland County woman won $300,000 playing Bonus Ball Bingo. She said she planned to buy a new home, take a vacation and save the rest.

And last month, a Macomb County man won $4 million playing the Michigan Lottery's $150 Million Cash Explosion instant game.

Players have won more than $7 million playing Blizzard Bucks, which launched in December. Tickets cost $5 and prizes range from $5 up to $500,000. More than $7 million in prizes remain, including one $500,000 top prize and three $2,000 prizes.

Lottery instant game tickets are available at more than 10,000 retailers across the state.