Great Lakes Wire

A Wayne County woman recently secured a $500,000 prize from the Michigan Lottery's 50X Wild Time instant game. The winner, who prefers to remain anonymous, recounted her experience at a gas station with "a good feeling about the number 13," leading to her purchase of the winning ticket.

“I went to the gas station with $15 in my pocket and had a good feeling about the number 13, so I asked the worker for one of the tickets in the bin labeled 13,” she said. After initially believing she had won $50,000, she realized upon closer inspection that her actual prize was $500,000. “I almost had a heart attack when I thought I’d won $50,000, then I put on my glasses and realized I’d actually won $500,000!"

She expressed joy at the outcome, stating, “I have been dreaming of winning a prize like this for a long time. I am incredibly happy and excited!” The woman, aged 52, plans to use her lottery winnings to buy a house, start a small business, and secure a future for her children.

The winning ticket was bought at Nick’s Petroleum in Dearborn. This game, released in February 2024, has paid out over $62 million so far. Multiple prizes remain, including another $500,000 top prize.

In 2024 alone, Michigan Lottery players claimed nearly $1.8 billion in instant game prizes. Tickets for these games are available at various retailers statewide.