LANSING, MI — Two longtime friends decided that sharing a lottery ticket would improve their luck — and they were right.
Robert Sopsich, 30, of Hartland, and Dillan Dybilas, 20, of Ubly, were having no luck playing Michigan Lottery instant games on their own so they decided to split a $20 Millionaire Maker ticket and agreed to split the winnings.
The lucky duo ended up splitting way more than they could have imagined as they won a $1 million prize.
"We'd each been buying tickets but hadn't won much, so we decided to put our money together and split the winnings," Sopsich said. "We stopped and bought a couple tickets last week and when we got back in the truck, started scratching them off."
"I looked over at Robert and his mouth was hanging wide open," Dybilas said. "I asked him how much we'd won and when he said '$1 million,' I had to see the ticket for myself."
The two bought heir ticket at the Hilltop Party Store, located at 12402 Highland Road in Hartland.
"When I saw the '1MIL' symbol it was like lightning going through my body," Sopsich said. "We went to my house right away to tell my wife, and all we could do was celebrate because we knew winning meant we'd be debt free."
The pair visited Michigan Lottery headquarters in Lansing Tuesday to claim their prize. They elected to receive a one-time lump sum payment of $634,000 rather than annuity payments for the full amount. Each player received about $317,000 before income tax withholdings, according to the Michigan Lottery.
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Happy for them but winning a million should mean you won a million not 634 thousand. Let me get this straight, they won a million but actually receive 634 thousand after taxes, divided by 2 equals 317 thousand each and they still owe tax withholdings on that amount? HUH? Are they getting taxed twice?
Bob and Dillan, cool names, congrats guys.
IRS Forms W2G for gambling wins, & 5754 for multi-persons wining on the same ticket.
It's not $634,000 after taxes, it's $634,000 because they took the cash option. If they chose the annuity they would claim $1 million.
OK Todd, but the cash option should be the same as the annuity. If you win a million as advertised it should be a million take home regardless. IMO
But that's not the way most lottery games work. Unless a top prize is specifically marked as a cash payout, it is almost always an annuity.
(A cash prize is never the same amount as an annuity.)
While I completely agree with you LIGB, Texas seems to be the only state that I am aware of that pays out what it advertises. They sure do NOT in Tennessee. I have no idea what the reduced rate is or if they even offer it, here. It states on the back of our scratchers with a $1 Million or more grand prize " $1,000,000 prizes will be paid over 25 years" and the same goes for $2 Mill or $3 Mill.
Still a great win for these 2 guys and being debt free has a nice ring to it.
Congrats to the Winners!
Being debt free is a wonderful feeling. Congrats to them!
Great win, Great friends!
No drama over who's ticket it belonged to, real friendship LOVE IT!!