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Lottery player thought friends were pranking him, but Michigan prize was the real deal

A Michigan lottery player thought his prize was a prank.
A Michigan lottery player thought his prize was a prank. Getty Images/iStockphoto

Have you ever felt like something is too good to be true? Like someone must be pulling a prank on you?

That’s how an Ingham County lottery player, who chose to remain anonymous, felt when he opened his emails to a message that he had won a $100,000 prize, according to Michigan Lottery officials.

“I thought it was from some college buddies who were playing a trick on me,” the man told officials.

The lucky 59-year-old won in the Sept. 28 drawing for Michigan Lottery’s $300,000,000 Diamond Riches Second Chance game, officials said. He entered by scanning non-winning tickets in the Michigan Lottery app.

He recently went to collect his prize.

“Even after I talked to someone at the Lottery, I was skeptical about everything,” he said. “Now, sitting here holding a check, I know that it’s very real!”

The winner said he plans to save his prize money.

“I’ve been a Lottery player for a long time and I’ve won a little here and there, but you never think it will be you who wins the big one,” the winner said. “I’ve dreamt about what this would be like, but never imagined it would be a reality.”

Ingham County is 80 miles west of Detroit.

Many people can gamble or play games of chance without harm. However, for some, gambling is an addiction that can ruin lives and families.

If you or a loved one shows signs of gambling addiction, you can seek help by calling the national gambling hotline at 1-800-522-4700 or visiting the National Council on Problem Gambling website.

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This story was originally published October 14, 2022 at 5:42 PM with the headline "Lottery player thought friends were pranking him, but Michigan prize was the real deal."

Moira Ritter
mcclatchy-newsroom
Moira Ritter covers real-time news for McClatchy. She is a graduate of Georgetown University where she studied government, journalism and German. Previously, she reported for CNN Business.
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