Lottery player thought ‘surreal’ call about big win was fake. Now he’s headed on trip

When he got a call about a big Michigan lottery win, he thought it was fake. It wasn’t.

“I had been playing the Monthly Jackpot game quite a bit,” the 49-year-old man from Clinton County told Michigan Lottery in a Monday, Feb. 13, news release. “I knew there was a second chance associated with playing, but I wasn’t sure what the second chance prize was.”

The Monthly Jackpot Progressive Game is an instant online lottery game, officials said. Based on how much players wagered, they’re entered into the game’s monthly second-chance random drawing.

“I got an email and a call from the Lottery one day informing me I’d won the second chance jackpot, and I didn’t think it was real,” the man, who chose to remain anonymous, told lottery officials.

He won $125,514 from the random drawing on Jan. 11, the release said.

“It still feels surreal and hasn’t sunk in yet,” he said. “I haven’t told my family that I won yet, so I plan to surprise them by showing them the check. This couldn’t have happened at a better time for our family!”

With his winnings, he plans to pay bills and go on vacation, per the release.

Clinton County is about 100 miles northwest of Detroit.

If you or a loved one shows signs of gambling addiction, you can seek help by calling the national gambling hotline at 1-800-522-4700 or visiting the National Council on Problem Gambling website.

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