Although 2021 still has some work to do in order to become the greatest year yet for Michigan Lottery winners, two recent Michigan Lotto 47 winners have done their part to make it happen. A Bay County woman and a thus-far unknown person both hit the game’s progressive jackpot within the past two weeks.
At that rate, 2021 just might break the record for MI Lottery winners of prizes of at least $1 million. However, sustaining that level of success over the limited amount of calendar time left is a tall order.
Michigan Lotto 47 winners add to this year’s growing tally
A 52-year-old from Bay Co., MI bought a single ticket at Dore’s Party Store on South Huron in Kawkawlin before the Oct. 30 drawing. At the time, the draw game’s progressive jackpot sat at $1.63 million.
The numbers on her ticket matched all of their appropriate counterparts from that drawing; 4-7-12-13-30-32. It definitely made for an even more exciting holiday for the woman, who chose to maintain her anonymity.
“When I checked my ticket on Halloween, I really couldn’t believe what I was seeing,” she said, according to a Michigan Lottery news release. “I made my husband double-check it, just to be sure I wasn’t dreaming. You always think about winning, but I’m not sure I ever thought it would happen. It has definitely felt like a dream!”
Upon her visit to a MI Lottery claim center, she took the lump sum payment of around $1.1 million. She says she plans to invest the windfall. Another player who bought a ticket for the same game might make similar choices soon.
On Nov. 13, someone bought a Lotto 47 ticket that matched all the numbers in that drawing at Mack’s Vandyke Mini Mart on Mack Ave in Detroit. The estimated value of the jackpot was $1.15 million, and the winning numbers were 10-11-27-38-40-42.
If you have the ticket, secure it immediately. Then, contact an attorney and financial adviser you trust. Those professionals will assist you in claiming your prize in the best way possible.
That person is the newest member of what’s been a growing club all year in MI. Specifically, the group is the number of people who have won prizes of seven or more figures playing lottery games in the Great Lakes State.
2021 continues to bring it for lottery players
These wins put 2021’s tally over 50, approaching record territory. In 2019, 57 lottery players won prizes of at least $1 million before taxes. Even if there are no more such wins in 2021, this year is firmly in its No. 2 spot.
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 |
With just about six weeks left in the year, breaking the record will require more rapid-fire wins. The odds are stacked against that happening for a couple of reasons, though.
First, the odds of such wins are super long to begin with. For Lotto 47, for example, the odds of matching all six numbers in a drawing are 1 in 10,737,573. Of course, several instant-win games also offer prizes of a million or more.
Each time a player cashes in on one of those big wins, that leaves one fewer out there for the taking. For those reasons and just out of responsible gambling concerns, it’s not advisable to rush out and buy a ton of lottery tickets just to try to break the record. Should the last few weeks of 2021 push over that hump, though, that means some MI residents or visitors will have very happy holidays.
