The relative millionaire slowdown in Michigan is a thing of the past after a pair of seven-figure lottery tickets were announced on Monday by the Michigan Lottery.
Both major lottery draw games in American circulation — Powerball and Mega Millions — were the sources of happiness in the Great Lakes State this week.
Here’s the latest as the state inches closer to 60 lottery millionaires for the year.
New millionaires online, in person for Powerball, Mega Millions
The feelings for 62-year-old Jeffrey Phillips were tough to put into words.
Playing Mega Millions just past the Thanksgiving holiday, Phillips matched the five white balls — 07-27-37-42-59 — on the Nov. 26 drawing to qualify for a $1 million prize. He also, thanks to the purchase of the Megaplier option, saw that prize double to $2 million.
The Washtenaw County man bought his winning ticket at Polly’s Country Market in Chelsea, which is about 15 miles west of Ann Arbor.
“I play the Mega Millions game weekly and have been playing the same set of numbers for years,” Phillips said through a Michigan Lottery news release. “The Sunday after the drawing, I checked the winning numbers online and started writing them down. After the first few numbers, I thought: ‘Wait a minute, these numbers are familiar.’
“When I realized what I had won, I called for my wife to have her come look the ticket over. We were both in shock, and it still hasn’t sunk in yet!”
Phillips visited lottery headquarters to claim his prize and plans to purchase a new car and home.
“I can’t comprehend the feeling of winning or put it into words,” said Phillips. “It still doesn’t feel like this is real.”
But those feelings are indeed real, and they’ll be real for a Powerball player who purchased an online lottery ticket for the Dec. 11 drawing.
That person (with a Battle Creek origination, according to the Michigan Lottery’s millionaires database) matched the five white balls — 03-25-44-53-64 — for another $1 million. The ticket is valid for a year from the draw date.
The winner should contact the lottery’s Player Relations Division at (517) 373-1237 to schedule an appointment for prize collection in Lansing, but not before taking a couple of important other steps first.
Advice if you win a big lottery prize
We say these sorts of things often at PlayMichigan, but the truth is worth repeating. There are some basic steps to follow if you are the lucky recipient of a massive lottery prize.
First, secure your ticket if it’s a physical piece of property. If you buy a ticket online, secure all emails related to the purchase.
Then, contact both an attorney and financial professional. Their expertise will allow you to protect your identity, shelter your winnings from taxes and begin the process of smart financial planning.
Then, after all that, contact the MI Lottery through the number above and set up that appointment to claim your life-changing sum.
Millionaires back on an upswing — and likely toward a record
By the way, the Michigan Lottery now lists 58 million-dollar-plus prize winners for the year 2021. If all are claimed, it would make for a record, surpassing the 57 recorded in 2019.
Numbers will become official once prizes are verified and claimed.
Amount Of $1 Million+ Michigan Lottery Prizes
Year | Count |
---|---|
2021 | 58 |
2020 | 48 |
2019 | 57 |
2018 | 45 |
2017 | 38 |
2016 | 46 |
2015 | 38 |
2014 | 27 |
2013 | 32 |
2012 | 25 |
2011 | 17 |
2010 | 16 |
2009 | 5 |