It’s been nearly a year since catastrophic flooding devastated Michigan’s Tri-Cities region last May. But one Midland County man who says he lost everything in the flood is rebounding quite nicely after scoring a $2 million instant Michigan Lottery win.
The 29-year-old man, who chose to remain anonymous, won the Michigan Lottery $2,000,000 Lucky 7’s instant game.
“Last year, I lost everything in a flood, so to win this prize is so overwhelming to me,” the man said, according to an announcement from the Lottery. “I never play $20 tickets, but when I stopped to pick up a couple things on my way to pick up my kids, the Lucky 7’s ticket caught my eye. Seven is a lucky number for me, so I decided to take a chance and bought the ticket.”
The man who bought the ticket at Anna’s Market in Midland took a one-time, $1.3 million lump sum instead of annuity payments for $2 million.
More than 20 $1 million Michigan lottery winners in 2021
The man, who plans to pay bills and save the remainder, joins a group of lucky folks in the $1 million club.
There have been at least 21 winners who have taken home $1 million or more so far in 2021, not including the Midland County winner.
Of the 21 reported scores, nine have been from instant scratch-offs. Of the 80 Michigan Lottery instant games, 20 offer prizes of $1 million or more.
Players have won more than $92 million playing the Michigan Lottery $2,000,000 Lucky 7’s, which launched in December 2019. Four $2 million top prizes remain unclaimed.
In 2020, Lottery players won more than $1.5 billion playing instant games.
$4 million Ultimate Millions score in Madison Heights
In addition, a $4 million instant score was posted to the Lottery’s database on Thursday.
The Ultimate Millions ticket was purchased at a Mobil station in Madison Heights, a Detroit suburb.
No other details were immediately available about the winner.
$1 million Mega Millions ticket bought in Ludington
Still, interstate drawings are more likely to create Michigan Lottery millionaires, with 12 occurring so far this year.
On Wednesday, the Lottery publicized a $1 million Mega Millions prize for a Lake County man.
Gerald Carrig of Irons in northwest Michigan “about had a heart attack” when he realized his score, according to the Lottery.
Carrig, 73, bought the winner at a Meijer gas station in Ludington.
He’s one of three Mega Millions winners in Michigan to take home $1 million or more in 2021, including the $1.05 billion group winner from January. In addition, there have been five million-plus Powerball scores in Michigan and three others in Lucky For Life.
There’s also been one Lotto 47 $1 million winner this year. Saturday’s drawing in Michigan has a $7.2 million jackpot.
