Michigan Woman Wins $1M Top Prize In Scratch-Off Game, Signaling Chances For Others

The Michigan Lottery is approaching 50 winners of at least $1 million in 2021, and the latest such prize points to how it might get over that hump. A Millionaire Maker lottery winner is the object of such scrutiny.

The lucky player is a woman from Muskegon County, and she’s the second to win the top prize on Millionaire Maker II in the past couple of weeks. That well hasn’t gone dry yet, however.

The story of the latest Millionaire Maker lottery winner

According to the MI Lottery, the fortuitous moment suspended the winner’s belief. After buying a $20 Millionaire Maker II instant win card at the Wesco on Pantaluna Rd in Spring Lake, the 78-year-old woman discovered it was a life-changing purchase.

“I like to play all kinds of Lottery games and decided on the new Millionaire Maker II game while I was at the store,” the winner said in a Michigan Lottery news release. “When I realized I’d won $1 million, I couldn’t believe it! I had my friend look the ticket over to make sure it was real.”

After her friend convinced her of the win’s legitimacy, she visited Lottery headquarters to claim her prize. She chose the lump sum of about $634,000. She plans to invest her winnings.

This victory comes less than two weeks after a Wayne County man claimed a prize of the same amount off the same game. The Lottery says there are still nine Millionaire Maker II cards out there somewhere with the top prize.

Although the recent run on these wins can be tempting, repeating the feat is still unlikely. At the same time, the odds only get longer with each successive win.

Is it time to rush out and get a Millionaire Maker II card?

In part, whether to play this game depends on what you’re after. If you’re simply looking for a gamble with a strong chance to profit, you’re better off looking elsewhere. At $20 per ticket and considering the millions of tickets still remaining in circulation, you’re much more likely to take a loss than make any profit at all playing the game.

On the other hand, if losing $20 is acceptable for you to have a shot at a big hit, 75% of the top prizes remain. When the game started with 12 $1 million prizes up for grabs, the odds of landing the appropriate ticket were higher than they are now.

This game still offers more chances at $1 million than most other MI Lottery instant win games, so if that’s your play, this game is among your top choices. If your gambling budget allows you to fork over $20 to chase a big win, you should consider this card.

Keep in mind, however, that blowing that $20 is most likely exactly what’s going to happen. For every ticket that hits on one of the nine $1 million prizes left, there will be hundreds of thousands more that don’t pay off so well.