A Michigan couple was pleasantly surprised to learn that their lottery ticket was worth more than they had expected. In their seventies, the couple bought a Holiday Wishes scratch-off ticket at a Marathon petrol station in Spring Lake, Ottawa County. Due to their bad vision, they misread the ticket several times before realizing the $500,000 reward.
A life-changing moment
The pair, who chose to remain anonymous, said they were inspired to play immediate games after viewing an episode of ‘My Lottery Ideal Home,’ a TV show about lottery winners buying their ideal homes. The Holiday Wishes ticket was their third scratch-off purchase, and the clerk playfully told them to remember him if they got the jackpot.
They took the ticket home and asked their son to authenticate the award. Their son congratulated them on a “significant, life-changing event” and advised them to call the Michigan Lottery office. The pair plans to utilize their gains to pay bills, donate to charity, and take a trip to Paris.
An Uncommon Occurrence
The Holiday Wishes game, which debuted in October 2023, allows players to win prizes ranging from $5 to $500,000, with the highest prize having a one-in-660,000 chance of winning. The couple’s triumph was one of four $500,000 prizes offered in the game. As of February 2024, two further top awards remained unclaimed.
The Michigan Lottery stated that the couple’s gain was an unusual occurrence since typically players thoroughly scrutinize their tickets before claiming awards. Nonetheless, there have been reports of players misreading or misplacing winning tickets, such as a guy who won $100,000 in a second chance game by scanning his lost tickets on the lottery app, and another who won $500,000 on his first ticket after following his parents’ directions.
Conclusion
In a sweet turn of events, a couple in their 70s from Michigan found out their Holiday Wishes scratch-off ticket was worth $500,000, even though they had read it wrong at first because they had bad eyesight. Because of a TV show, they bought the third scratch-off, which led to a moment that changed their lives.
The Michigan Lottery noticed their rare mistake, which made the event even more unusual. The couple plans to pay their bills, give to charity, and take a trip to Paris with their unexpected windfall. It will make an everyday day into a special one.