LANSING, January 25, 2000 — A Maybee woman almost let a $300,000 winning "Bingo Mania" instant Michigan Lottery ticket slip through her hands. When leaving a service station recently, she chose to purchase the lucky ticket on her way out the door.

"I stopped to get gas in my car during my lunch hour, and was debating whether or not I wanted to pick up a Lottery ticket while I was there," the winner said. "I started to walk out the door, but I suddenly turned around and said, ‘I’ll take one of those new bingo tickets too.’"

The lucky lady waited until she got back to the parking lot at her place of employment before scratching off the ticket.

"I decided to scratch the ticket off before I went back into work," she said. "I couldn’t believe my eyes! I handed the ticket to my friend and asked her if I was reading the ticket right. She looked at the ticket and then looked at me and said, ‘You won!’ I was totally shocked. My friend told me I had a completely blank look on my face."

The Maybee woman said she has been playing Michigan Lottery games for the past 27 years and her favorites are Michigan Lotto, Cash 5 and, of course, the instant games.

The winning ticket was purchased at Jim’s Marathon Service, 504 S. Telegraph Road, in Monroe. Prior to turning the winning ticket in at Lottery headquarters in Lansing, the winner kept it in a safe place in her home.

The winner said she and her husband plan to use the winnings to pay off their house and buy a new vehicle. She said she was thrilled to have won a Lottery prize, and encourages other Lottery hopefuls to "just keep playing!"

"Bingo Mania" is just one of many Michigan Lottery instant tickets available at more than 9,300 Michigan Lottery retailers statewide.

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