Michigan sees its first multi-million winner in the updated Mega Millions game
A Genesee County woman was the first Michigan Lottery player to become a millionaire from the recently updated Mega Millions multi-state lottery.
Pamela Dietrich, 58, of Linden visited Lottery headquarters to claim her prize, which was announced by Michigan Lottery Thursday.
She had matched the five white balls in the April 11 Mega Millions drawing for a $1 million prize that was tripled because of a multiplier included in the ticket.
She played on the Michigan Lottery website for that drawing, and the winning numbers were 15-37-38-56-58.
"I don't consistently play Mega Millions, but I do play from time to time," Dietrich told lottery officials. "I had an itch to play for this drawing, so I logged into my Lottery account and purchased a ticket.
"The next morning, I saw an email from the Lottery regarding a prize. I had a hard time believing it when I saw I had won $3 million! I called the Lottery first thing Monday morning to verify that it was real and schedule an appointment to claim my big prize. I'm still trying to wrap my head around this!"
Michigan Lottery Commissioner Suzanna Shkreli said Dietrich was the first Michigan player to become a millionaire on the updated Mega Millions game. There are now bigger prizes, better odds and larger starting jackpots after the updates that took effect April 8. The cost of the ticket is now $5, it was previously $2 with a multiplier costing an extra $1.
"I am excited Pamela was able to cash in!" Shkreli said.
Mega Millions tickets can be purchased either online or at participating retailers. Mega Millions tickets are sold in 45 states, Washington D.C., and the U.S. Virgin Islands.
