Jamie Lupo and his wife, Alicia, smile after collecting a $500,000 Lottery prize.

A Bay County man says winning $500,000 playing the Michigan Lottery’s Triple Bonus Cashword instant game is going to change his life.

Jamie Lupo, of Bay City, won the big prize with a ticket he bought at the Tuscola Express Stop, located at 56 South Tuscola Road in Bay City.

“My wife and I had won $60 on tickets we’d bought earlier in the day, so I stopped and bought a few more on my way home,” said Lupo. “When we scratched the ticket off, I said: ‘This looks like a lot of words, I think we might have 10!’

“I must have counted the words on the ticket 100 times to make sure we really had them all. I couldn’t believe that we’d won $500,000!”

The 45-year-old Lupo visited Lottery headquarters Friday to claim the big prize. With his winnings, he plans to buy a new home, invest in his small landscaping business, and share with family.

“To me, winning $500,000 is like winning $500 million. You always think: ‘What would it be like if I won big?’

Players have won more than $20 million playing Triple Bonus Cashword, which launched in November 2017. Each $10 ticket offers players a chance to win prizes ranging from $10 up to $500,000. More than $20 million in prizes remain, including one $500,000 top prize and eight $1,000 prizes.

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

In 2017, Lottery players won more than $960 million playing instant games.