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Sold-out Michigan raffle crowns unlikely winner

With a single click, an Oceana County woman transformed her modest $100 prize into a seven-figure payday.

The Michigan Millionaire Raffle logo.
The Michigan Millionaire Raffle logo. Photograph credit to the Michigan Lottery.
Samantha Herscher

Lightning strikes in unexpected ways. Just ask one Oceana County woman who turned a $100 online prize into a life-changing $1 million win.

A spontaneous decision

The 63-year-old player's journey began with a simple impulse. After winning $100 in an online game, she decided to buy Powerball and Mega Millions tickets. While browsing the Michigan Lottery's online platform, something caught her eye: the Millionaire Raffle game.

"Why not?" she thought, purchasing a single ticket on a whim. Little did she know how that moment would transform her life.

An unbelievable moment

Days later, an email from the Lottery stopped her in her tracks. A $1 million prize was pending in her account. Most people would dismiss such a notification as too good to be true. But this was real.

She repeatedly logged in and out of her account, each time expecting the prize to disappear. Each time, the $1 million remained. Reality slowly sank in. She had won big.

For the Oceana County winner, the next step is straightforward: save her winnings. No immediate plans for extravagant purchases. No hasty decisions. Just careful financial planning and newfound security.

Understanding the Millionaire Raffle

The Michigan Lottery's Millionaire Raffle isn't your typical lottery game. It's a carefully structured draw with strict parameters. Only 100,000 tickets are available for each game. One lucky player walks away with $1 million. Another 100 players receive $1,000 prizes.

Tickets cost $20 and are sold exclusively online. The numbers are randomly assigned—no personal number selection allowed. The drawing occurs automatically once all tickets sell out or after one year, whichever comes first.

A moment of lottery magic

Michigan Lottery Commissioner Suzanna Shkreli celebrated the unexpected win. "Purchasing a Millionaire Raffle ticket on a whim led to a huge $1 million payday," she remarked. Her statement captured the essence of lottery magic: opportunity favors the bold.

The broader lottery landscape

The Michigan Lottery's online platform offers far more than just the Millionaire Raffle. Players can explore over 200 different games, with play costs ranging from mere cents to $50. From Powerball and Mega Millions to instant games, the opportunities are vast.

Winners must navigate a specific claiming process. They need to log into their Michigan Lottery account and submit an online claim within one year of the drawing date. Timing and attention to detail matter.

A lesson in possibility

Sometimes, life-changing moments come from the most unexpected places. A spontaneous $20 ticket purchase transformed an ordinary day into an extraordinary memory. This Oceana County woman's story reminds us that opportunity often arrives unannounced.

Will you be the next unlikely winner?

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