LANSING, December 1, 1998 – For Viola Fair of Detroit, the Michigan Lottery’s Big Game is the best game in town!  Fair matched the first five numbers in the November 27 Big Game drawing to win the $150,000 prize.  That day’s winning numbers were: 4, 8, 20, 41, 44 and the Big Money Ball number was 6.

"I saw the drawing on WDIV’s eleven o’clock news and made sure that I wrote the numbers down," she said.  "I called the Lottery’s toll-free number (800-822-8888) to double-check the numbers and went out the next morning to get a winning number report.  When I knew for sure that I had won I said ‘Thank you!’ and called my brother and told him to get ready for a trip to Lansing!  I couldn’t sleep for two nights after finding out that I had won!"

Fair purchased the winning Big Game "easy pick" ticket at Detroit BP Gas, 4100 E. 8 Mile Road, in Detroit.  The retiree said she plans to share her winnings with her daughter, grandson and brother and pay bills.

The 62-year-old winner offered the following advice for other hopeful Lottery players: "You just never know when it’s going to show up!  Just keep the faith!"

The Big Game is a six-state lottery game which held its first drawing in September 1996.  Lotteries in Michigan, Georgia, Illinois, Maryland, Massachusetts and Virginia contribute to the joint prize pool.  Big Game drawings are conducted every Tuesday and Friday at 11 p.m.  The next Big Game drawing will be conducted tonight – the expected jackpot is $7 million.

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