LANSING, July 20, 1998 – A Kent County man recently became a Michigan Lottery millionaire by matching all six numbers in the May 23 Michigan Lotto drawing, and the wager didn’t cost him a cent!

The Walker resident, who requested anonymity, purchased a $5 five-wager ticket for the May 23 drawing, automatically earning him a free "Smartplay" easy-pick wager for that same drawing. It was that sixth free wager that correctly matched the six winning numbers in that day’s drawing: 11, 21, 22, 30, 34 and 42.

"I was ready to go to work the day after the drawing and thought, ‘I haven’t checked my Lotto numbers,’" said the winner.

"I checked the numbers in the Grand Rapids Press and saw right away that I had three numbers," he said. "Then I had a drink of coffee and saw that I had the other three too! I woke up my wife and made her double-check the ticket."

The lucky winner arrived in Lansing to pick up his first installment check of $80,000 (before taxes), to be followed by 24 annual installments. A regular Michigan Lottery player for 25 years, the man said he’ll use his winnings to make investments, maybe purchase a new car, and "be able to help family out when they need it."

"We were happy before we won," he said, "and we’re happy now."

The winning Michigan Lotto "easy pick" ticket was purchased at Crystal Flash #08, 1002 W. Main St., in Lowell.

Michigan Lotto drawings are conducted every Wednesday and Saturday. The expected jackpot for Wednesday’s (July 22) drawing is $3.3 million.

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