“My husband and I buy Mega Millions tickets every once in a while when the jackpot is up there,” said Carol Bukant, 79. “Since the jackpot was getting close to $1 billion, we decided to buy $20 worth of tickets. The next morning, my husband checked them, and we were both shaky and excited when we thought we’d won $1 million. Shortly after, we realized we had a 3X multiplier and actually won $3 million. It was amazing!”
“Carol Bukant cashed in winning $3 million during the most recent Mega Millions jackpot run where the Mega Millions jackpot reached $980 million,” said Lottery Commissioner Suzanna Shkreli. “Not only are jackpot runs good news for players, but they are also good news for schools because they increase sales which in turn helps the Lottery increase its contribution to the School Aid Fund.”
Bukant matched the five white balls in the Nov. 14 Mega Millions drawing to win $1 million: 01-08-11-12-57. Thanks to the included multiplier, her prize was multiplied to $3 million. She bought her winning ticket at JJ Land LLC, located at 4421 West Centre Avenue in Portage.
Bukant recently visited Lottery headquarters to claim the big prize. She plans to save her winnings.
Mega Millions plays may be purchased for $5 each at Lottery retailers across the state and online at MichiganLottery.com. Each wager includes a built-in multiplier that multiplies non-jackpot prizes up to 10 times to a maximum of $10 million. Mega Millions tickets are sold in 45 states, Washington D.C., and the U.S. Virgin Islands.