Michigan Lottery
Michael Sopejstal’s winning Lucky for Lottery lottery ticket.
CNN –
Michael Sopejstal, who lives in Illinois, said he drives through Indiana to Michigan every few weeks to eat at his favorite restaurant. He also makes sure to buy a 10- or 20-draw Lucky for Life ticket, according to the Michigan Lottery.
On Sept. 17, the retailer made a mistake at a GoLo gas station and accidentally printed a 10-line ticket for a single drawing, Sopejstal told the lottery. Sopejstal told the retailer he still wanted it.
“One morning I checked my ticket and saw that I had won $25,000 a year for life,” he told lottery officials. “I immediately thought about what I could do with the money and whether I wanted to opt for a lump sum payment or an annuity payment. It was an incredible feeling!”
According to the lottery, the 60-year-old recently visited the lottery headquarters to collect his prize. He opted for the one-time lump sum payment of $390,000 instead of $25,000 a year for 20 years or life, whichever is greater, the lottery said.
Sopejstal told the lottery that he wanted to travel with his prize money and save the rest.
Lucky for Life is played in about two dozen states as well as Washington, DC. Prices range from $3 to a maximum of $1,000 per day for life.
The overall odds of winning for each game are posted on the game’s website. Sopejstal’s odds of winning five white balls on September 17 were 1 in over 1.8 million.