Finding a lucky $5 bill led to a Lansing man winning a $79,709 Diamond Wild Time Progressive Fast Cash jackpot.
“I had just finished my bartending shift at the VFW and I was counting my tips,” said 53-year-old Brian Bates. “I was going through a stack of $1 bills, when a $5 bill jumped out and landed on the counter. As soon as I saw it, I just had a lucky feeling hit me and I bought a Diamond Wild Time Progressive ticket.”
Bates bought his winning ticket on Jan. 12 at VFW Post 701, located at 123 North Rosemary in Lansing.
As soon as Bates looked at the ticket his jaw dropped.
“I saw almost immediately that I won the jackpot,” said Bates. “My wife was sitting there waiting for me to finish up, and I told her I’d won. She thought I was joking, so I scanned the ticket, then I scanned it again, and again. I think I scanned it about 15 times to be sure it was a winner.
“When my wife and I got home, we sat down at our kitchen table, had a beer, and just kept laughing and smiling at each other.”
Bates visited Lottery headquarters Thursday to claim the big prize. With his winnings, he plans to take a vacation, spoil his grandchildren, and then save the remainder.
“I’m over the moon about winning, it’s totally awesome. It’s going to help us add a nice cushion to our savings,” Bates said.
Fast Cash games are a series of instant-win games that print from terminals at Lottery retailers. Fast Cash tickets range in price from $1 per play up to $20 per play.
Fast Cash games also offer a progressive jackpot that can be won instantly. Every Fast Cash ticket gives players a chance to win all or part of the progressive jackpot.
All of the Fast Cash games feed into one jackpot, which grows with every ticket purchased. The current jackpot amount prints on each ticket, so players always know the amount of the jackpot up for grabs. The jackpot may be won at any time. As soon as the jackpot is hit, a new one starts to grow.
Available Fast Cash games are:
- Lots of 50s – Each $1 ticket offers players a chance to win prizes ranging from $1 up to $50 and 10 percent of the Fast Cash progressive jackpot.
- Tic Tac Cash – Each $2 ticket offers players a chance to win prizes ranging from $2 up to $300 and 20 percent of the Fast Cash progressive jackpot.
- Wild Time Progressive – Each $2 ticket offers players a chance to win prizes ranging from $2 up to $500 and 20 percent of the Fast Cash progressive jackpot.
- 20X The Cash – Each $5 ticket offers players a chance to win prizes ranging from $5 up to $2,500 and 50 percent of the Fast Cash progressive jackpot.
- Black Jack – Each $5 ticket offers players a chance to win prizes ranging from $5 up to $4,000 and 50 percent of the Fast Cash progressive jackpot.
- Diamond Wild Time Progressive – Each $5 ticket offers players a chance to win prizes ranging from $5 up to $3,000 and 50 percent of the Fast Cash progressive jackpot.
- 50X The Cash – Each $10 ticket offers players a chance to win prizes ranging from $10 up to $5,000 and 100 percent of the Fast Cash progressive jackpot.
- Jackpot Slots – Each $10 ticket offers players a chance to win prizes ranging from $10 up to $5,000 and 100 percent of the Fast Cash progressive jackpot.
- Smokin’ Hot Cash – Each $10 ticket offers players a chance to win prizes ranging from $10 up to $7,000 and 100 percent of the Fast Cash progressive jackpot.
- 100X The Cash – Each $20 ticket offers players a chance to win prizes ranging from $20 up to $10,000 and 100 percent of the Fast Cash progressive jackpot, plus $250,000.
Fast Cash prizes never sell out and there is no waiting for a drawing as all games are played immediately.
Fast Cash games may be purchased at 11,000 retailers across the state.
