A Charlevoix County man definitely got his money’s worth when he won $1 million playing the Michigan Lottery’s Cashword Millions instant game.

“I always play Cashword Millions because they take a while to play and I feel like it’s a pretty good value for the money,” said the player, who chose to remain anonymous. “When I scratched a $1 million winner, I felt a huge sense of relief hit my body.”

The player bought his winning ticket at the East Jordan Central EZ Mart, located at 101 Water Street in East Jordan.

The 63-year-old player visited Lottery headquarters recently to claim the big prize. He chose to receive his winnings as a one-time lump sum payment of about $634,000, rather than annuity payments for the full amount. With his winnings, he plans to pay off his house and then save the remainder.

“Winning takes a lot of worry away and makes it easier to relax and have fun,” the player said.

Players have won more than $20 million playing Cashword Millions, which launched in August 2019. Each $20 ticket offers players a chance to win prizes ranging from $20 up to $1 million. More than $77 million in prizes remain, including two top prizes of $1 million, 67 $5,000 prizes, and 674 $1,000 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.