Man buys a few $5 lottery tickets ‘on a whim’ — and it pays off big in Michigan

A man who usually only buys $20 lottery tickets in Michigan is really glad he changed it up.

“I decided to purchase a few $5 tickets on a whim,” the 63-year-old player told Michigan Lottery officials. That decision paid off big time.

“I started scratching the tickets when I got home and saw I’d matched a number,” he said. “When I revealed the winning amount of $500,000, I was in disbelief! I’ve been playing for years hoping to win big and I can’t believe it finally happened.”

The Wayne County man, who decided to remain anonymous, had played the $25 Million Cash Payout instant game, according to a Nov. 2 news release. He bought his winning ticket at JCJ Food in Detroit.

He hopes to go to Florida and pay off his home with the prize.

This story was originally published November 2, 2022 at 1:39 PM with the headline "Man buys a few $5 lottery tickets ‘on a whim’ — and it pays off big in Michigan."