A Macomb County man could only stare at his computer after winning $250,000 playing the Michigan Lottery’s Diamond Payout instant game online.

“I have been winning a lot on the VIP Black and Diamond Payout games,” said the player, who chose to remain anonymous. “A few weeks ago, I won a little over $1,000 playing Diamond Payout, so I decided to keep trying my luck with that game.

“I logged on to my account to play and the first diamond I uncovered lit up and I saw I had won $250,000! I stared at my computer in a daze for a few minutes because I just couldn’t believe it. It was a surreal moment.”

The 44-year-old player visited Lottery headquarters Monday to claim the big prize. With his winnings, he plans to pay off and renovate his home.

“Winning a prize like this is life changing,” the player said. “It still feels surreal.”

Michigan Lottery players have a chance to win up to $500,000 instantly playing online. Players also may win prizes ranging from $1 up to multimillion-dollar jackpots playing Powerball, Mega Millions, Lotto 47, and Fantasy 5 online. Through its online platform, the Lottery offers players more than 50 different games with plays ranging in price from 5 cents to $20.

More than 1 million players have registered to play the Lottery’s online games, which were launched in 2014. For more information or to play online, visit http://bit.ly/MSLOnlineGames.

In 2018, Lottery players won more than $676 million playing games online.