LANSING, March 25, 1999 – What would you do with $73 million? That is the big question on the minds of many Michigan Lottery players this week. After no one matched all six numbers in the Tuesday, March 23 Big Game drawing, the Michigan Lottery’s Big Game jackpot swelled to an estimated $73 million for the Friday, March 26 drawing!
"This is great," said Michigan Lottery Commissioner Don Gilmer. "It’s hard not to think about what you would do with all that money when you know it could be yours with just one lucky ticket! The Big Game is really living up to its name this week, and we’ve got our fingers crossed for a Michigan jackpot winner!"
The last time a Michigan Lottery player won a Big Game jackpot was in July 1998. Charles Willis of Canton purchased the sole winning ticket for the July 3, 1998 drawing bringing him a $17 million Lottery prize!
If one player in Michigan were to have the only winning ticket to match all six Big Game numbers, it would be the largest single jackpot ever won in Michigan Lottery history! The largest to date is the $45.6 million Big Game jackpot from the January 24, 1997 drawing; that prize was divided among the 17-member "Friends Forever" lottery club of Jackson.
If one winning ticket matches all six numbers and the player has selected Annuity payments, before taxes it would amount roughly to:
- $2.8 million annually for 26 years; or
- $53,994 per week; or
- $7,713 per day!
A player who selects Cash Option for jackpot winnings would also have a pretty nice payday. The present cash value of the $73 million jackpot is estimated at approximately $39 million, before taxes!
The Big Game offers nine ways to win cash prizes ranging from $1 to the jackpot, including a second-tier prize of $150,000 for matching the first five numbers. The other participating Big Game states are Georgia, Illinois, Maryland, Massachusetts and Virginia. To date, six Big Game jackpots have been won by Michigan Lottery players. Wagers cost $1 each and tickets may be purchased at more than 6,400 Michigan Lottery retailers statewide.
Largest Jackpots (TOTAL AMOUNT) Awarded by the Michigan Lottery
DRAW DATE |
JACKPOT |
# OF WINNERS |
GAME |
| Feb. 25, 1995 | $45,851,400 | 3 | Michigan Lotto |
| Jan. 24, 1997 | $45,600,000 | 1 | The Big Game |
| Aug. 28, 1993 | $36,540,213 | 1 | Bonus Lotto |
| March 15, 1997 | $34,000,000 | 1 | Michigan Lotto |
| Sept. 17, 1988 | $33,555,966 | 2 | Lotto 6/44 |
Largest Jackpots Awarded to a SINGLE WINNER by the Michigan Lottery
DRAW DATE |
JACKPOT |
# OF WINNERS |
GAME |
| Jan. 24, 1997 | $45,600,000 | 1 | The Big Game |
| Aug. 28, 1993 | $36,540,213 | 1 | Bonus Lotto |
| March 15, 1997 | $34,000,000 | 1 | Michigan Lotto |
| May 16, 1997 | $29,994,387 | 1 | The Big Game |
| Aug. 15, 1990 | $29,071,177 | 1 | Lotto 6/47 |
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