Third times a charm for Michigan man after winning $2 million on scratch-off ticket

By Joseph Buczek

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    WAYNE COUNTY, Michigan (WWJ) — The third time was a charm for a 32-year-old Wayne County man after he bought three Colossal Cashword instant tickets and won a $2 million top prize.

The man, who wishes to remain anonymous, bought his winning ticket at the River Oaks Marathon, located at 20015 Ann Arbor Trail in Dearborn Heights.

“I bought a Colossal Cashword ticket while I was at the gas station and won $30, so I used my winnings to buy another one,” said the player in a statement. “The second ticket was a non-winner, so I decided to try one more. I bought a third ticket and scratched it in the store. When I revealed the seventh word, I assumed it was a $600 winning ticket, so I scanned it and got a message to file a claim at the Lottery office.

“I took the ticket out to my car and gave it to my wife to scan on her Michigan Lottery app. When $2 million came up on the scanner, I started screaming. My wife tried to calm me down so people wouldn’t hear me, but I couldn’t contain my excitement!”

The player elected to receive his prize as a one-time lump sum payment of about $1.3 million. With his winnings, he plans to buy a car and a house and help his family.

The Michigan Lottery says players have won more than $65 million playing Colossal Cashword since the game debuted in Sept. 2023. Prizes range from $20 up to $2 million, and more than $52 million in prizes remain up for grabs, including one $2 million top prize.

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