Michigan Lottery player claims surprise $1 million prize

A West Michigan man won $1 million in the Michigan Lottery after originally thinking he had won only $5,000 Michigan Lottery Connect A West Michigan man is now $1 million richer thanks to the lottery. According to Michigan Lottery Connect, a Montcalm County man was thrilled when he won what he thought was $5,000 playing the Michigan Lottery's King Cashword instant game, and then he found out the ticket was actually worth $1 million! Advertisement Article continues below this ad 'King Cashword is my favorite game,' the lucky 75-year-old player, who chose to remain anonymous, said. 'When I scratched this ticket, I thought I won $5,000 and I was thrilled! I looked at the ticket a few more times, which is when I realized I missed the 'L' in the call letter box and actually won $1 million." The player bought his winning ticket at Maple Valley Market, located at 106 West 2nd Street in Trufant. Trufant is about 35 miles northeast of Grand Rapids. He recently visited Lottery headquarters to claim the big prize. He chose to receive his prize as a one-time lump sum payment of about $693,000 rather than annuity payments for the full amount. With his winning, he plans to donate, help others, and start a trust fund for his children. 'I was in disbelief, so I drove over an hour to the Lottery office in Grand Rapids so I could have them check the ticket and confirm that it really was a $1 million winner. I'm still shaky and in shock at the thought of winning this much money!' Advertisement Article continues below this ad Michigan offers a 24-hour, toll-free problem gambling helpline at 1-800-270-7117. More resources are available at Michigan.gov/mgcb. The National Council on Problem Gambling operates the National Problem Gambling Helpline Network at 1-800-GAMBLER. The network is a single national access point to local resources for people seeking help for a gambling problem. The network has 28 contact centers that provide resources and referrals for all 50 states and U.S. territories. Help is available 24/7 and is 100% confidential. Advertisement Article continues below this ad Help is also available via an online peer support forum at GamTalk.org.