LIVONIA, MI — He scratched his ticket in the bathroom to keep his girlfriend from knowing what he'd done.
Her request that he restrain himself from another lottery ticket purchase went ignored.
But when the scratching was finished, the guilty act of secrecy turned to a brilliant stroke of luck.
The Livonia man, whose identity hasn't been revealed because he requested anonymity, scratched until he found a match for one of his winning numbers: 27.
Printed underneath the match: "1Mil."
"I scratched the ticket in the bathroom and thought I was having a heart attack when I saw it was a $1 million winner," the man told state lottery officials.
It was a faulty printer on a gas pump that led to the small act of defiance and the huge jackpot.
The day before his moment of lavatory glory, the winner filled his car with fuel at a BP gas station on 5 Mile Road in Livonia and went inside to get his receipt when one failed to print at the pump.
On his way in, he grabbed from the car two previous winning lottery tickets worth $5 each.
"On my way in, my girlfriend told me not to buy any lottery tickets, but I didn't listen," the man said. "I bought one 50X The Cash ticket and paid for it with my two $5 winners."
It was the next morning when he pulled the ticket from its hiding spot and took to the bathroom for a small, suspense-filled thrill that became a life-changing event.
"I play the Lottery pretty regularly and win a little here and there, but never thought I'd win $1 million," he told lottery officials when he went to Lansing to redeem the prize Wednesday.
"... I showed the ticket to my parents and neither of them believed me. We immediately went to the computer to look the game up online and read the instructions again. That's when it finally started to sink in that I had won big."
The man chose a one-time, lump-sum payment of $634,517 over a 30-year annuity, lottery officials said.
He plans to take a European vacation and invest the rest of the money.
"We've always wanted to go to Scotland, and this will give us the opportunity to do that," the winner said.
"Maybe next time my girlfriend won't be as skeptical when I'm feeling lucky and want to buy a Lottery ticket."
About $48.8 million in prizes remain for the 50X The Cash lottery brand, including two more $1 million prizes, eight winning tickets worth $250,000, 242 $10,000 wins and 2,412 $1,000 prizes, according to the Michigan Lottery.
The Michigan Lottery contributed $742.8 million to the state's public school systems in fiscal year 2014.
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Sweet...
That's close to home, I could walk to that gas station in about 6 minutes.
Congrats to the lucky guy.
Nice.....
The moral of the story is to do what you believe is right and don't listen to negatively.
Thats all you have to do to win!? This has got to be some kind of satire.
I'll bet the girlfriend got her hand out now waiting on what she can get. Who do people think they are?? Let them buy however many tickets they want, I go to work and earn my money if I want to spend it on lottery tickets shut up and let me...
Perhaps the lucky man should have got a loser ticket and went to his girlfriend and told her he couldn't fight the temptation. Her reaction would seal her fate in the relationship.
Maringoman,
I like that idea.
Also there's this.
"On my way in, my girlfriend told me not to buy any lottery tickets, but I didn't listen"
The key words here...Didn't listen. WTG
He will win some arguments in their future by saying "Honey when I don't listen to you wonderful things happen"
Hooray for this guy. Although I live in California, I grew up in the great state of Michigan and will always be a Michigander at heart. I remember I was there when the lottery started. Lottery is good for everyone, it is voluntary taxation so to speak and benefits schools, roads and a states infrastructure. It also creates jobs.
The nagging girlfriend is lucky he is even going to share. I raise a glass to the bathroom scratcher and say a hearty CONGRATS!!!!
But....
Just saying....
Yep I know that area also Sully!! I use to drive thru when I lived in Farmington Hills. Very lucky guy.
Is it the one at Inkster, or the one farther west near I- 275
Congratulation to this winner. I don't think I would have been in any hurry to tell this girl friend about the winner either.
Just goes to show, you never know when it is going to be your lucky day. Congrats to him!
Poor guy had to wait until the next morning and hide in the bathroom to scratch it
This should be a wake up call. I'm sure she'll be telling him what he should do with it
now too. Naggy wet blanket. I guess if photos are taken she'll be right next to him
smiling ear to ear. You know, sometimes a person has to go with their head and not
their heart. Even with this win, I see more choppy waters ahead. Unless, of course,
he throws her overboard.
A 30 year annuity for just $1000000! That's just sad!
Congrats to him.
Maybe the girlfriend told him not to buy another one , because he has a gambling addiction. When you are hiding in the bathroom to do something so that nobody knows that's a red flag.
When is a million dollar instant ticket not a million dollars ??? In Michigan..The man chose a one-time, lump-sum payment of $634,517 over a 30-year annuity, lottery officials said. With the money they rake in off these instant games... a 30 year annuity...you got to be sh@tting me !! A bigger scam than I ever imagined !!!
problem is that no where on the ticket or the website does it say annuity. That is why I never buy anything over $5.....I want what they say the top prize is...whats next...win $5 and they will pay you 50 cents for the next 10 years ..LOL !!!
I as well. haha
Congrats to this fellow!