A Macomb County woman is feeling a sense of relief after winning $500,000 playing the Michigan Lottery’s Lucky 7’s Tripler instant game.

The lucky player, who chose to remain anonymous, bought the winning ticket at the Marathon gas station, located at 54950 Mound Road in Shelby Township.

“I don’t play the Lottery all that often,” said the player. “I made a stop at 7-Eleven to buy some gift cards that I was going to give as Easter gifts and I picked up a few tickets.

“I won $17 on those tickets, so I stopped at the Marathon and bought more tickets. I actually forgot they were in my purse for a couple of days.”

After discovering the tickets in her purse, the lucky player began scratching and got the surprise of a lifetime.

“When I saw the clover symbol I got excited,” said the player. “Once I uncovered the prize amount, I was shocked. I called for my daughter so she could look at the ticket and tell me if I was reading it correctly.

“We decided to take the ticket to the Marathon to have it scanned so we could confirm it was a big winner. When the clerk told me I needed to go to the Lottery office I was thrilled.”

The player visited Lottery headquarters Friday to claim the big prize. With her winnings, she plans to buy a new home and invest for her retirement.

“My husband and I are planning to retire in the next few years, and it’s been a stressful few months as we look at our finances and try to find a new, smaller home. Winning this takes so much stress away and helps me know we’ll have a comfortable retirement,” the player said.

Players have won more than $15.6 million playing Lucky 7’s Tripler, which launched in January. Each $5 ticket offers players a chance to win prizes ranging from $5 up to $500,000. More than $28.3 million in prizes remain, including two $500,000 top prizes, 16 $7,777 prizes, and 115 $1,777 prizes.

Lottery instant games may be purchased at 11,000 retailers across the state.

In 2016, Lottery players won nearly $817 million playing instant games.