Wayne County woman wins $1 million playing Mega Millions during jackpot hysteria
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LANSING, MI -- A Wayne County woman didn’t win the prize she was hoping for, but she was still thrilled when she realized she’d won a $1 million Mega Millions prize. Nikki Lawson, 39, of Harper Woods, says she purchased her ticket online, thanks to the hype surrounding the $1.29 billion drawing on July 29.
“I decided to buy a Mega Millions ticket because the jackpot was so high,” Lawson said. “The next day I saw an email from the Lottery notifying me that I’d won a prize. I logged in to my Lottery account to see what I’d won, assuming it was a $1,000 prize or a prize around that amount.
“When a pop up came up showing $1 million, all I could think was: ‘That is way too many zeros to be $1,000!’ I started freaking out when I realized how much I’d won.”
Lawson matched all five white numbers drawn -- 13-36-45-57-67 -- for the July 29 drawing to win the $1 million. She visited lottery headquarters recently to claim her prize. With her winnings, she plans on buying a house and saving the remainder.
For the latest on Michigan Lottery, check out the official Michigan Lottery site, which also offers more information on instant tickets, raffles and other lottery games.
The last players from Michigan to win a Mega Millions or Powerball jackpot is the Wolverine FLL lottery club which claimed a $1.05 billion jackpot in March 2021. With their winnings, the group plans to give back to the community.
And while they were lucky winners, it’s smart for players to check their tickets immediately as a winner worth $1 million sold in Warren last year went unclaimed. The money instead went to the state’s School Aid Fund.
