An Ogemaw County man and his wife were on the verge of throwing away their Mega Money Multiplier instant game ticket, then a friend checked it and found they’d won $2 million.

The couple were enjoying a night out when they bought a $20 Mega Money Multiplier ticket at the Clear Lake Bar, located at 2212 North Clear Lake Road in West Branch.

After scratching the ticket and thinking it wasn’t a winner, the couple was ready to throw the ticket away. That’s when a friend stepped in and took a look at the ticket.

“I didn’t know the ticket was a winner, and our friend wanted to look it over,” said the husband, who chose to remain anonymous. “When he told us the ticket was a $2 million winner, we were shocked!”

After returning home that night, the player and his wife kept a close eye on the ticket. They called the Michigan Lottery on Tuesday to arrange an appointment to collect the big prize.

Good news travels fast at the Clear Lake Bar, and nearly the whole town heard of the player’s good fortune.

“It went viral,” said the player. “Almost everyone in town knows we are the big winners and they are happy for us.”

The player elected to receive his prize in one lump sum payment of about $1.3 million.

After winning, the player’s wife immediately retired from her job. Both now retired, the couple plans to invest the big prize in their retirement and enjoy time together camping.

“Winning this big prize is great for us and will let us live the same lifestyle with a little extra financial security,” the player said.

Mega Money Multiplier features prizes ranging from $20 up to $2 million. More than $42 million in prizes remain in the game, including one $2 million top prize, 36 $5,000 prizes and 244 $1,000 prizes.

Lottery instant game tickets may be purchased at retailers across the state.