Michigan woman wins $500K scratch-off jackpot after store clerk's suggestion
An Upper Peninsula woman won a $500,000 lottery jackpot thanks to a suggestion from a store clerk.
Amanda Hughes, 42, of Gwinn, bought her winning Wild Time 50X instant ticket at Kwik Trip, located at 301 M-553 in Marquette.
"I don't play scratch-off tickets a lot, but I do buy one every once in a while," said Hughes in a news release. "When I was at the store, I asked for the $20 Wild Time game, but they had sold out of it, so the clerk suggested 50X Wild Time.
"When I scratched the ticket off and saw the prize of $500,000, I wasn't sure if it was real at first. I thought I must not have read the instructions correctly, so I reread them and then went back into the store to scan the ticket and have the clerk look at it. It was surreal when I realized I really had just won $500,000!"
With her winnings, Hughes plans to buy a house and then save the rest for her children.
"I still can't believe this is real! This money is going to be life-changing for my family," said Hughes.
Since the game launched in February 2024, players have won more than $67 million playing 50X Wild Time, according to the Michigan Lottery. Each $10 ticket gives players the chance to win prizes ranging from $10 up to $500,000. More than $24 million in prizes remain up for grabs, including 52 $10,000 prizes.