According to the Michigan Lottery, more than 600,000 Michiganders have registered online accounts since the state launched its online lottery in 2014.
In 2016 alone, online lottery players in Michigan won $337 million.
And more importantly, the revenue being generated isn’t cannibalizing existing brick and mortar lottery retailers.
A 2016 study conducted by Digital Gaming Group found:
“The Michigan Lottery’s success story should be a page in the book of every lottery looking to convince its stakeholders of the value, certainty and complementary nature of this new sales channel.
“Multi-channel growth has been observed across the globe where iLottery is present and the industry is finally obtaining domestic evidence as well.
“… a better argument can be made in support of iLottery increasing overall player engagement and driving cross-channel sales. Programs such as the Online Game Card, purchased at retail and redeemed online, have helped to bridge the two channels while providing added traffic and commissions to retailers.”
Big prizes are being won online
The stories we’ve chronicled at Play Michigan are only the tip of the iceberg. And the hits just keep on coming.
For example, there’s the Clinton Township woman who recently pocketed $10,000 playing the Michigan Lottery’s Cash Carnival Giveaway. Then, there’s the story of a Huron County man who won $75,000 playing the Wizard of All game online.
“I was at my girlfriend’s house playing the Wizard of All game on my phone,” the player, who chose to remain anonymous, told the Michigan Lottery. “I had been playing some of the newer online games, and decided to give an older game a try, so I picked Wizard of All. When I hit $75,000 I was stunned!
Here’s a look at him winning the $75,000 prize.
It’s unclear how his girlfriend would have reacted to the man gambling on his phone while they were spending time together, but a $75,000 payday tends to make everything alright.
“I couldn’t believe it when I won, and neither could my girlfriend,” he said. “When I showed her the game on my phone, she just kept saying: ‘That’s not real!’ I enjoy playing the Lottery’s online games because they are entertaining, and I don’t have to go to the casino to win money. It’s nice to know that the prizes you see out there are real.”
Online options from the Michigan Lottery
In addition to being eligible for the multimillion Powerball, Mega Millions, Lotto 47, and Fantasy 5 jackpots, online players in Michigan can win up to $500,000 playing online instant win games.
The Michigan Lottery’s website offers nearly 50 different games (from instant win tickets to keno), with ticket costs starting at just five cents and ranging up to $20.
And as the Huron County man noted, new games are constantly being added.
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