All news

Michigan player wins $25,000 playing Lucky for Life

 Congratulations, Dina Russell!

Dina Russell's winning Lucky for Life ticket.
Dina Russell's winning Lucky for Life ticket. Photograph credit to the Michigan Lottery.
Corinna Underwood

A lucky Michigan Lottery player has won $25,000 a year for life by playing Lucky for Life.

The Flushing resident stopped by her local Borders Corner Store, located at 7024 East Pickard Road in Mount Pleasant, to purchase a Lucky for Life ticket. What she didn't realize was that she was already carrying a winning ticket in her purse.

Dina Russell recently claimed her winnings after she won the jackpot Lucky for Life prize by matching five white balls in the drawing on February 20, 2024. The winning numbers were 5, 7, 13, 37, and 39.

In an interview with the Michigan Lottery, she said:

I play Lucky for Life regularly. I pulled up to the gas station to purchase a ticket, but before going in, I checked the Lucky for Life ticket I had in my purse by scanning it on the MI Lottery app. When $25,000 a year for life came up on the screen, I was thrilled.

As soon as she found out she had won, Dina took a screenshot of her winning ticket and sent it to her husband. He replied immediately, telling her to come home straight away so that they could put the ticket in a safe place.

Dina recently traveled to the Michigan Lottery Headquarters to claim her prize. She opted to receive her winnings as a one-time lump sum payment of $390,000 instead of the annuity payments of $25,000 a year for 20 years or life, whichever is greater. She plans to use her winnings to buy a car, share with her children, and save for retirement.

How to play Lucky for Life

Lucky for Life is a $2 lottery draw game that gives players an opportunity to win prizes ranging from $3 to a top prize of $1,000 a Day for Life. To play, you must pick five numbers between 1 and 48 and one Lucky Ball from between 1 and 18. Alternatively, you can check Easy Pick on your play slip to have your numbers chosen randomly by the computer.

You can play up to 10 separate games on each play slip. You can also play in as many as 30 consecutive drawings with your pre-selected numbers by marking the number of games you wish to play in the multiple-draw wagers area of your play slip. Once you've completed your play slip, give it to your lottery retailer to have it printed. Lucky for Life is drawn on Thursdays and Sundays at 10:38 p.m.

Here's the prize range for this game:

Matches Prize
5 White Balls + Lucky Ball $1,000 / Day for Life
5 White Balls $25,000 / Year for Life
4 White Balls + Lucky Ball $5,000
4 White Balls $200
3 White Balls + Lucky Ball $150
3 White Balls $20
2 White Balls + Lucky Ball $25
2 White Balls $3
1 White Ball + Lucky Ball $6
Lucky Ball $4

Comments

Comments have been disabled for this article.

Related articles

Letters on a table spelling "Thank you" with Christmas ornaments surrounding it.
8 things lottery players are thankful for in 2025

This holiday season, lottery players are counting their blessings from $1B jackpots to funds for schools.

Todd Betzold profile pic

Todd Betzold

Fired envelope
How a $20K ticket created one of Tampa’s weirdest lottery disputes

A loyal friend, a scratcher win, and a pointed memo collided into a messy dismissal. Why?

Todd Betzold profile pic

Todd Betzold

Garden State News store located at 4024 Bergenline Ave. in Union City, NJ
$90M jackpot lifted a lucky player and gave a local store a big boost too

Krish Patel’s store gets a rare $30K reward, adding excitement to a street already buzzing with big wins.

Todd Betzold profile pic

Todd Betzold

A drawing of a bottle of poison, crime investigation documents, and a magnifying glass over a fingerprint.
Secrets and lies: The tragic death of lottery winner Ibi Roncaioli

The shocking secret that led to a lottery winner's murder.

Alex Cramer profile pic

Alex Cramer

Recent articles

View All
Letters on a table spelling "Thank you" with Christmas ornaments surrounding it.
8 things lottery players are thankful for in 2025

This holiday season, lottery players are counting their blessings from $1B jackpots to funds for schools.

Todd Betzold profile pic

Todd Betzold

Georgia State Capitol Building in Atlanta
Legislators: Need-based lottery scholarships will buoy Georgia economy

Georgia is losing skilled workers. Lottery-funded scholarships could help.

Halley Bondy profile pic

Halley Bondy

1040 Form example
Could America ever ban post-jackpot moves to tax-free states?

Many big winners relocate after hitting it big, but what if your home state claimed your taxes first?

Todd Betzold profile pic

Todd Betzold

Fired envelope
How a $20K ticket created one of Tampa’s weirdest lottery disputes

A loyal friend, a scratcher win, and a pointed memo collided into a messy dismissal. Why?

Todd Betzold profile pic

Todd Betzold