A 27-year-old Mackinac County man told Michigan Lottery officials that his long-standing road trip habit — buying a $20 scratch-off ticket before every drive — paid off with a $2 million top prize.
The winner, who chose to remain anonymous, said he bought a Two Million Dollar Cashword ticket in Sault Ste. Marie before a drive with a friend.
“Every time I go on a road trip with family or friends, I buy a Two Million Dollar Cashword ticket to scratch on the drive,” the player said. “I was in Sault Ste. Marie with a friend, and we were getting ready to head home, so I stopped and got my ticket per usual. As I was getting in the car I said to my friend: ‘Do you think people ever actually win on these?’”
The player said he answered his own question as he scratched the ticket during the drive.
“I scratched the ticket during the drive and didn’t realize until I was done scratching how many words I’d uncovered,” he said. “I counted nine words a few times, so I thought I’d won $10,000 until I found a tenth word a few minutes later. When I realized I’d actually won $2 million, I’ll be honest, I cried like a baby! It still feels like a dream.”
The $2 million prize is the top payout on the Two Million Dollar Cashword scratch-off game, which costs $20 per ticket. The winner said he plans to take a trip to Hawaii with a portion of the winnings and invest the remainder.