A Michigan man is celebrating a major $500,000 lottery win after discovering that a Christmas gift from his family turned out to be a life-changing prize.
The 68-year-old Macomb County resident won the top prize in the Michigan Lottery's 25 Days of Winning instant game. However, he didn't claim his winnings until nearly a year after receiving the lucky ticket during his family's annual Christmas celebration.
The family has a holiday tradition of buying lottery tickets for everyone to scratch together. During last year's gathering, his son handed out the tickets, allowing each family member to pick one before checking for prizes.
At first, the man believed he had won just $500. But a family member scanned his ticket using the Michigan Lottery app and uncovered the incredible truth: the ticket was worth $500,000!
"I couldn't believe it when they told me it was a $500,000 winner!" he told lottery officials.
The winner chose to keep his identity private. He said he plans to save the money and use it as a financial safety net for the future.
Details About the 25 Days of Winning Game
The Michigan Lottery introduced its 25 Days of Winning instant game in November 2025. Each $10 ticket gave players a chance to win prizes ranging from $10 to the top prize of $500,000.
According to the Michigan Lottery, players collected more than $18 million in prizes through this game.
Here are a few key details:
-
Game: 25 Days of Winning
-
Ticket Price: $10
-
Top Prize: $500,000
-
Launch Date: November 2025
-
Total Prizes Won: More than $18 million
Michigan Lottery players also won more than $1.7 billion through instant games statewide in 2025.
Tickets for Michigan Lottery instant games are available at participating retailers across the state.
Login