LANSING, January 12, 2001 – The New Year began on a positive note for David Kanous of Clarkston when he learned he had matched the first five numbers in the January 9 drawing to win the $150,000 Big Game prize! That day’s winning numbers were: 4, 24, 35, 44, 48, and the Big Money Ball number was 32.

Kanous, 41, purchased the winning Big Game ticket at Pine Knob Shell, 6889 Sashabaw Road in Clarkston.

“I stopped for gas on the way home from work and decided to buy a Lottery ticket, too,” he said. “I learned I had a winning ticket when I had the cashier at Pine Knob Shell check the ticket for me after the Wednesday night drawing.”  “After double-checking the winning numbers on the Lottery’s Web site (www.state.mi.us/milottery), my wife and I cautiously celebrated,” the winner said. I called Lottery headquarters the next morning to verify the numbers. I was in total disbelief!”

The winner said he has been playing the Big Game for the past four years, and he always buys “easy pick” tickets. “The computer can pick the numbers as well as I can,” he said.

Kanous, who works in marketing at General Motors, said he plans to use part of his winnings to pay for his children’s college education and purchase a ski boat. He said he plans to save the rest.

The Big Game is a multistate lottery game in Michigan, Georgia, Illinois, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Jersey, and Virginia. Wagers cost $1 each and tickets may be purchased at more than 6,400 Michigan Lottery retailers statewide.

Big Game drawings are conducted every Tuesday and Friday at 11 p.m. The next Big Game drawing is tonight, January 12, with an expected jackpot of $44 million.

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