‘It was a fantastic feeling’: Bay County man playing Fantasy 5 on a whim wins $157,721 jackpot
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BAY COUNTY, Mich. – A Bay County man who purchased a Fantasy 5 ticket on a whim won the game’s $157,721 jackpot.
Larry Mielens, 58, of Munger, Michigan, matched the Fantasy 5 numbers in the July 10 drawing to win the jackpot: 08-12-21-31-34. He purchased his ticket online.
“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.”
He visited the lottery headquarters recently to claim the big prize. He plans to complete home improvements with some of the money and save the rest.
“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 said.
