LANSING, October 29, 1997 – A Waterford man responded with "tears of joy" when he learned he was a Michigan Lotto millionaire!

The winner, who requested anonymity, matched all six winning numbers in the Michigan Lotto drawing on October 22, 1997.  Selecting the lump-sum cash option instead of the 25-year annuity, the winner collected his one-time prize payment of $3,954,130, before taxes.  The prize amount was the present cash value of that day’s announced $7.5 million jackpot.

"I checked the Oakland Press the morning after the drawing," said the winner.  "I checked one number at a time and then I told my wife, ‘We won the Lotto!’ I was just crying with tears of joy."

A regular Michigan Lottery player for 25 years, the winner said he will share his Lotto winnings with his family and buy a new house.

The winning Michigan Lotto "easy pick" ticket was purchased at Convenience and More, 1435 Airport Road, in Waterford.  The winning numbers in the October 22, 1997 Michigan Lotto drawing were: 5, 9, 11, 20, 28 and 43.

Tonight’s (October 29) Michigan Lotto jackpot is estimated at $2.1 million, and Friday’s (October 31) Big Game jackpot will be $5 million.

The Michigan Lottery introduced the lump-sum cash option for the Michigan Lotto game in July 1997.  In just three months’ time, response from Lotto players has been positive – more than 64 percent of Lotto wagers placed are for lump-sum cash option payment vs. the traditional 25-year annuity payment.

An IRS regulation requires that Michigan Lotto players decide at the time of ticket purchase whether they want the lump-sum cash option or the annuity payment.

# # #