$20 lottery win inspires Michigan man to buy another ticket — then he won the jackpot

A Michigan lottery winner only likes to play the Fast Cash games “when the jackpot gets high.”

That was the case when he bought two tickets on April 19, 2021 from Ideal Party Store in Bay City, Michigan, according to a Jan. 19 news release from Michigan Lottery.

Nine months later, he recalled winning $20 from one of those two tickets. That prize inspired him to buy two more tickets with his winnings.

“I scanned both tickets before looking them over and got a message to file a claim on one of them,” he told Michigan Lottery. “I thought maybe I’d won a couple hundred or a thousand dollars and put it in my pocket.

“A few hours later, I looked the ticket over and was in disbelief when I saw I had won the jackpot,” he continued. “It was such a surreal feeling, it still is!”

The man won $829,392 by playing the Doubler Wild Time Progressive Fast Cash jackpot, officials said. But he waited to claim his big win until 2022 “for tax purposes.”

The winner, who chose to remain anonymous, told lottery officials that he plans to use his winnings to donate to various charities before saving what is left.

Bay City is just south of the Saginaw Bay on Lake Huron.

If you or a loved one shows signs of gambling addiction, you can seek help by calling the national gambling hotline at 1-800-522-4700 or visiting the National Council on Problem Gambling website.

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