Man passes on visiting the casino and wins millions anyway — with a scratch-off ticket

A decision not to go to a casino paid off for a South Carolina man, who who won a life-changing prize the same day.

Instead of hitting the slots or the blackjack table, Michael Buckner tried his luck with a $2,000,000 Mega Multiplier scratch-off ticket instead, the Michigan Lottery said in an Oct. 10 news release.

Buckner, who works in Escanaba, Michigan, won the game’s top prize.

“I was trying to decide between going to the casino or buying instant tickets and ended up deciding to buy instant tickets,” he told lottery officials. “When I scratched off the $2,000,000 Mega Multiplier game and saw I won $2 million, I didn’t think it was real.”

The odds weren’t exactly in his favor. The game costs $20 to play and offers just three jackpot prizes of $2 million.

“I called my girlfriend to tell her what I won, but she didn’t believe it either. It still hasn’t fully sunk in!” the 58-year-old winner said.

Buckner chose the one-time payment of $1.3 million. He plans to share some money with his family, pay bills and save the remainder.

Escanaba is in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan along Lake Michigan.

This story was originally published October 10, 2024 at 2:45 PM with the headline "Man passes on visiting the casino and wins millions anyway — with a scratch-off ticket."