Traverse City Woman Wins $1 Million Powerball Prize
Kristina Love, a 74-year-old resident of Traverse City, Michigan, recently experienced a life-changing moment when she won a $1 million Powerball prize. Love, who usually plays Fantasy 5, decided to buy a Powerball ticket on a whim while shopping at Family Fare located at 905 East 8th Street in Traverse City. The winning numbers for the August 24 drawing were 05-15-21-24-43, and Love matched all five white balls.
Upon checking her ticket early the next morning, Love started screaming in excitement. Her son, thinking something was wrong, ran into the room only to find out about her incredible win. Love checked the numbers multiple times to ensure there was no mistake. She recently visited Lottery headquarters to claim her prize. With her winnings, she plans to buy a home and share with her family.
Oakland County Man Wins $100,000 in Second Chance Drawing
An anonymous 63-year-old man from Oakland County won $100,000 in the Michigan Lottery’s second chance drawing. The man unknowingly entered the drawing by scanning non-winning $300,000,000 Extraordinaire tickets on the Michigan Lottery app. The random drawing took place on September 10, and the man was selected as the winner.
Upon receiving the call from the Lottery, the man initially thought it was too good to be true. Later that day, he found an email in his spam folder confirming the prize, making him realize it was real. The winner expressed disbelief and excitement about winning and recently visited Lottery headquarters to claim his prize. With his prize money, he plans to help others and save.
Powerball and Mega Millions: Opportunities for Big Wins
Powerball tickets can be purchased for $2 each at Lottery retailers across Michigan and online at MichiganLottery.com. The “Power Play” option multiplies non-jackpot prizes by up to 10 times for an additional $1 per play, with a maximum of $2 million. The “Double Play” option gives players a second chance to win up to $10 million in nightly Double Play drawings for an additional $1 per play. Powerball drawings take place at 10:59 p.m. on Monday, Wednesday, and Saturday and can be watched live online at http://www.powerball.com.
Mega Millions is another popular lottery game in Michigan. The winning numbers for the Tuesday, September 17, 2024, drawing were 14, 31, 48, 57, and 64, with the Mega Ball being 9. The Megaplier was 3x. Although no one won the Mega Millions jackpot, a ticket purchased in Oklahoma matched the five white balls and had the Megaplier option to win $3 million. The next Mega Millions drawing is on Friday, September 20.
Historical Lottery Wins in Michigan
Michigan has a history of significant lottery wins. The last major winners from Michigan were members of the Breakfast Club lottery club, who claimed an $842 million jackpot in June 2024. They plan to use their winnings to buy a home in Florida and travel. Another notable win occurred on January 22, 2021, when a single ticket won a $1.05 billion Mega Millions jackpot purchased at a Kroger in Novi by members of the Wolverine FLL Club. The club opted for a lump sum payment of about $776 million.
Advice for Lottery Players
It’s important for players to check their tickets immediately. A Mega Millions winner worth $1 million sold in Southfield in 2023 went unclaimed, and the money went to the state’s School Aid Fund. Players should also be aware of the odds of winning. The odds of matching five white balls and the Mega Ball to win the Mega Millions jackpot are approximately 1 in 302,575,350.
Lottery Ticket Sales and Commissions
Lottery tickets are sold in 45 states, Washington D.C., U.S. Virgin Islands, and Puerto Rico. In Michigan, in-store and online ticket sales are available until 10:45 p.m. on the night of the draw. Floridians spend more money on lottery tickets than average Americans, ranking second behind New York, with most purchases made at Publix stores. Publix in Florida and Kroger in Michigan have both sold winning billion-dollar Powerball and Mega Millions tickets. For instance, a Kroger store in Michigan sold a ticket that matched all six numbers to win one of the biggest lottery prizes ever.
Community Impact and Donations
Lottery winnings can have a significant impact on the community. For example, Kroger received a $50,000 bonus commission for selling the winning Mega Millions ticket in January 2021, which it donated to the Food Bank Council of Michigan. Similarly, the Melbourne Beach Publix received a $100,000 commission for selling one of the winning tickets for the $1.586 billion Powerball jackpot on January 13, 2016.
Conclusion
The Michigan Lottery continues to create life-changing moments for its players. From Kristina Love’s $1 million Powerball win to the anonymous Oakland County man’s $100,000 second chance prize, these stories highlight the excitement and opportunities that come with playing the lottery. Whether it’s through Powerball, Mega Millions, or other lottery games, Michigan residents have the chance to win big and make a positive impact on their lives and communities.
