Purchasing a Fantasy 5 ticket on a whim paid off for a Bay County man when he won the game’s $157,721 jackpot.

Larry Mielens, of Munger, matched the Fantasy 5 numbers in the July 10 drawing to win the big prize: 08-12-21-31-34. He bought his winning ticket online at MichiganLottery.com.

“I play Fantasy 5 every so often, usually when the jackpot is more than $200,000,” said Mielens. “I bought this ticket on a whim. I had $11 in my account and decided to use it to buy a few tickets even though the jackpot was less than $200,000.

“The day after the drawing, I saw I had a prize notification email from the Lottery. I logged on to my account and thought I had won $157 dollars at first. When I realized I’d won the jackpot, I was shocked! It was a fantastic feeling!”

Mielens, 58, visited Lottery headquarters recently to claim the big prize. With his winnings, he plans to complete some home improvements and then save the remainder.

Each Fantasy 5 play is only $1. For an additional $1 per play, EZmatch may be added to a Fantasy 5 ticket, giving players a chance to win up to $500 instantly. For an additional $1 per play, Double Play may be added to a Fantasy 5 ticket, giving players a second chance to win up to $110,000 in the nightly Double Play drawing. Fantasy 5 players select five numbers from one to 39. Players who match all five Fantasy 5 numbers drawn win a jackpot that starts at $100,000. Fantasy 5 drawings are held seven days a week at 7:29 p.m. Tickets may be purchased at a retailer or online at MichiganLottery.com until 7:08 p.m. on the day of the drawing.