LANSING, December 10, 1997 – The holiday celebration has already started for two Wayne County men! Each won a $3,637,348 share of the December 6 Michigan Lotto jackpot!
The winners, who requested anonymity, are from Livonia and Highland Park.
Both men matched all six winning numbers in the Michigan Lotto drawing on Dec. 6, and both selected the lump-sum cash option for payment. Each man came to Michigan Lottery headquarters to claim his one-time prize payment of $3,637,348, before taxes. The prize amount reflects the present cash value of each winner’s share of that day’s announced $14 million jackpot.
The 46-year-old Livonia winner had trouble convincing his wife he’d won.
"I saw I’d matched five numbers and thought that was it, but then I realized we really had all six," he said. "I tried to tell my wife but she thought I was having a heart attack. This is an early Christmas present for us!"
A regular Michigan Lottery player for 25 years, the winner said he will invest most of his Lotto winnings and plan upcoming vacations.
The winning Michigan Lotto "easy pick" ticket was purchased at Bazzy’s Mobil, 33400 Plymouth Road, in Livonia.
In Highland Park, teasing turned to reality for one lucky man!
"Before the drawing was complete, I teased my wife that we had all six winning numbers," said the winner. "My wife had the ticket and we watched the drawing. She said it was true, that we really did have all six numbers! We called our daughters, and at first they didn’t believe us."
The 71-year-old retiree has been a Michigan Lottery player for 25 years. He plans to share his winnings with his family and make donations to their church.
The winning Michigan Lotto "easy pick" ticket was purchased at Holiday Party Store, 14622 Harper Ave., in Detroit.
The winning numbers in the December 6, 1997 Michigan Lotto drawing were: 6, 10, 30, 33, 35 and 43. Tonight’s (December 10) Michigan Lotto jackpot is estimated at $2.0 million, and Friday’s (December 12) Big Game jackpot is estimated at $11 million.
The Michigan Lottery introduced the lump-sum cash option for the Michigan Lotto game in July 1997. In the five months since its introduction, cash option has become a popular choice among players – nearly 65 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.
# # #
