A routine stop at a suburban convenience store turned an Ingham County player into a multimillionaire after a digital verification scan revealed a fortune she nearly overlooked.
A 61-year-old woman, who chose to remain anonymous, purchased a $30 scratch-off ticket for the Michigan Lottery’s $2,000,000 Cashword instant game at the Holt Express convenience store, located at 2196 West Delhi Avenue in Holt. She scratched the play area. She tallied the revealed letters. Convinced she had bagged a modest $5,000 prize, she opened the state lottery mobile application to verify the barcode. The screen flashed seven figures instead.
She had won the top prize of $2 million. Shock followed instantly.
I scratched off my ticket and thought I won $5,000. I scanned it on the lottery app to double check, and when $2 million popped up on the screen, I was in utter shock. My husband and I couldn't believe it.
Anonymous Winner, Michigan Lottery Statement
Rather than choosing thirty annual installments to claim the full headline amount of $2 million, the winner traveled to Michigan Lottery headquarters in downtown Lansing and opted for a one-time cash lump sum. She walked away with approximately $1.3 million before net withholding, bringing immediate liquidity to long-delayed domestic goals.
Winnings from the ticket will finance real estate acquisitions across two distinct climates, aligning with the seasonal "snowbird" migration common across the upper Midwest.
I plan to use my winnings to buy a home in Michigan, a home in Florida, and then save the rest.
Anonymous Winner, Michigan Lottery Statement
Buying into Florida while retaining a base across Michigan allows Midwestern retirees to sidestep freezing winters without severing ties to regional family networks. The remaining balance from the lump-sum settlement will flow into private savings reserves.
| Prize Parameter | Official Michigan Lottery Detail |:--- |:--- | Winning Player | 61-year-old Ingham County resident (Anonymous) | Game Title | $2,000,000 Cashword ($30 Scratch-Off) | Retailer Location | Holt Express, 2196 West Delhi Avenue, Holt, Michigan | Gross Jackpot Face Value | $2,000,000 (£1.54 million) | Payout Selection | One-time cash option of approximately $1.3 million | Initial Estimated Win | $5,000 (prior to digital app scan) | Game Launch Date | August 2024 | Cumulative Game Payouts | Over $22 million awarded statewide |
Launched by state lottery officials in August 2024, the $30 Cashword ticket requires players to assemble crossword-style puzzle combinations from a grid of call letters. Prizes across the scratch-off run from $30 break-even redemptions up to the $2 million summit.
The game has disbursed more than $22 million to ticket-holders across Michigan's Lower Peninsula. Holt Express, situated roughly 10 miles south of Lansing, stands in line to collect a retailer performance commission from state lottery administrators for issuing the winning ticket.
Having finalized the paperwork and accepted the $1.3 million wire at lottery headquarters, the Ingham County homeowner is moving ahead with property searches across the Lansing periphery and the Florida coast.