Odd News

Michigan man's $500,000 lottery ticket nearly ended up in trash

By Ben Hooper   |   June 18, 2021 at 4:34 PM
A Grand Rapids, Mich., man told Michigan Lottery officials the scratch-off ticket that won him a $500,000 prize nearly ended up thrown in the trash when he missed the number that earned him the prize. Photo courtesy of the Michigan Lottery

June 18 (UPI) -- A Michigan man said the scratch-off lottery ticket that earned him a $500,000 jackpot nearly ended up in the trash when he misread it as a losing ticket.

The 74-year-old Grand Rapids man told Michigan Lottery officials he bought a few $500,000 Jumbo Cash tickets from the Meijer gas station in Grand Rapids and they nearly all ended up in the trash before he realized he had missed an important detail.

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"I like to play the new instant games each month, so I bought a few of the $500,000 Jumbo Cash tickets," the player said. "I scratched the ticket off and thought it was a loser. I looked it over one more time before throwing it away and realized I'd matched the seven. When I revealed the amount, I thought: 'This can't be. This kind of luck never happens to me.'"

The man discovered he had scored the $500,000 top prize.

"I couldn't believe it. It still hasn't sunk in yet," he said.

The man told officials he plans to use his winnings to pay off his debts and buy a new house.