Michigan dad’s spontaneous decision bags $5 million jackpot

Have you ever had the feeling, deep inside you, that your luck is in? That’s exactly how one man in Michigan felt when he stopped at Speedway gas station on South Westnedge Avenue in Kalamazoo, Michigan.

The 43-year-old decided, on a whim, to buy a few tickets for the Lotto 47 lottery. The size of the jackpot had caught his eye and he felt pretty good about his chances, buying the tickets “on a whim”.

“When I saw the jackpot was over $5 million,” he recalled, “I told my family: ‘That money is going to be mine!‘”

Incredibly, when he went to check his numbers that night he saw his lucky numbers - 13, 25, 30, 35, 38, 46 - had been plucked out in the April 23 drawing. He explained that he had “recognized them instantly,” adding: “It was so surreal.”

After checking - and double-checking - the number, the lucky winner says he ran out of the door and right down the street, overcome with delight. Reflecting on that moment, he said: “Winning a prize like this feels unreal and is still sinking in.”

The victor explained that he’s going to use the money to help support his family, and opted against taking the money as a lump sum payment. Lotteries often offer a smaller amount as a one-time payment, or the full listed jackpot in a series of installment.

This lucky winner has decided for the long-term option, meaning that he can now bank on a $182,000 payment for each of the next 30 years. In a statement Michigan Lottery Commissioner Suzanna Shkreli said: “It is great to hear that this prize is going to have a positive impact on the winner and his family.”

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