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Lottery player thought she was scammed when email revealed jackpot win. ‘Total shock’

A woman from Oakland County won the Michigan Lottery’s Millionaire Raffle game.
A woman from Oakland County won the Michigan Lottery’s Millionaire Raffle game. Photo from Mackenzie Marco, UnSplash

Alarmed by his wife’s screams, a man went to check on his spouse in their Michigan home.

He soon realized that everything was fine — she had just become a millionaire.

The 43-year-old woman from Oakland County became the jackpot winner in the Michigan Lottery’s Millionaire Raffle game.

“I thought maybe I would win one of the $1,000 prizes, but I never thought I would win the $1 million prize,” she told lottery officials in an Oct. 20 news release.

The game introduced in May offered 100,000 tickets for purchase. There were 100 $1,000 prizes and the sole $1 million prize.

When she saw an email from the Michigan Lottery saying she won, she “assumed it was a scam.”

“I logged in to my lottery account to double check and when a pop-up came up saying I’d won $1 million, I started screaming!” she said. “My husband ran upstairs because he thought something was wrong. When I showed him the prize amount, he was in total shock.”

She said winning will provide a “nice financial cushion” for her family. With her winnings, she plans on investing, taking a trip and saving for retirement.

BEHIND THE STORY

MORE

When gambling is more than a game

Gambling is designed to be a source of entertainment.

If you or a loved one shows signs of gambling addiction, you can seek help by calling the national gambling hotline at 1-800-522-4700 or visiting the National Council on Problem Gambling website.

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This story was originally published October 20, 2023 at 8:48 AM with the headline "Lottery player thought she was scammed when email revealed jackpot win. ‘Total shock’."

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Mike Stunson
Lexington Herald-Leader
Mike Stunson covers real-time news for McClatchy. He is a 2011 Western Kentucky University graduate who has previously worked at the Paducah Sun and Madisonville Messenger as a sports reporter and the Lexington Herald-Leader as a breaking news reporter. 
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