It turns out one person’s trash really is another man’s treasure.
A Wayne County man won $1 million with an instant lottery game ticket he bought after someone else decided he didn’t want it.
The winner, who chose to remain anonymous, bought the ticket at a gas station on Schoolcraft Road near Evergreen Road on Detroit’s west side, according to Michigan Lottery officials.
“There was a Blazing Suits ticket set aside on the counter that someone else had decided not to purchase, so I purchased it,” the 33-year-old player said. “I scratched the ticket off and couldn’t believe it when I saw it was a $1 million winner! I never would have thought I’d win such a large lottery prize, so it’s truly a blessing.”
Lottery officials said the man recently visited their offices to claim the prize, taking it as a one-time lump sum payment of about $693,000. He told them he plans to save his winnings.
“Winning is a great feeling, but it’s also a lot of pressure because your mind starts thinking of all the different things you can do with this amount of money,” the winner told them.
Players have won more than $14 million in the Blazing Suits instant lottery game, which launched in June. Each $10 ticket offers players a chance to win prizes ranging from $10 up to $1 million. More than $32 million in prizes remain, including two $1 million top prizes and 15 $2,000 prizes.
In 2024, Lottery players won nearly $1.8 billion playing instant games.
“Congratulations to this lucky player on his $1 million win!” Lottery Commissioner Suzanna Shkreli said in a statement. “Instant games, like Blazing Suits, help drive sales, which increases our contribution to Michigan schools. In Fiscal Year 2025, the Lottery contributed more than $1 billion to the School Aid Fund for the seventh consecutive year.”
Michigan Lottery officials said Wednesday that a Kent County woman a $1 million with a scratch-off ticket.
On Monday, representatives said a Michigan lottery player won $3 million in the multi-state Mega Millions game.
Last week, officials said a Lenawee County man won $25,000 a year for life in the Michigan Lottery’s Lucky For Life game.
cramirez@detroitnews.com
@CharlesERamirez