An Arenac County man didn’t believe his eyes when he won $500,000 playing the Michigan Lottery’s Holiday Sparkle instant game.

The 37-year-old player, who chose to remain anonymous, bought his winning ticket at the Rich gas station, located at 320 South Main Street in Standish.

“I bought two Holiday Sparkle tickets, but never really imagined I would win big,” said the player. “I scratched the $500,000 winner first and thought my eyes were playing tricks on me!

“I looked it over a bunch of times, but I’m still in shock about it really. Once I deposit the check, it’ll finally feel real!”

The player recently visited Lottery headquarters to claim the big prize. With his winnings, he plans to pay bills and then save the remainder.

Players have won more than $18 million playing Holiday Sparkle, which launched in October 2019. Each $10 ticket offers players a chance to win prizes ranging from $10 up to $500,000. More than $7 million in prizes remain, including one top prize of $500,000 and seven $2,000 prizes.

Lottery instant games may be purchased at 10,500 retailers across the state.

In 2019, Lottery players won more than $1.2 billion playing instant games.