Lottery Winner: Macomb County Woman Gets $500K Gift

SHELBY TOWNSHIP, MI – It's safe to assume one Macomb County woman had an unforgettable Christmas 2017 – in her family gift exchange, she received a winning $500,000 instant lottery ticket. The woman, who chose to remain anonymous, said she would use the money to pay off her house and put the rest in savings.

Strangely, the 49-year-old woman and her husband were sort reserved in when they discovered they had a winning ticket, she told lottery officials.

"My husband and I always figured that if we won the lottery we’d run around the house screaming with excitement," the woman said. "The reality was, we sat at the kitchen table and stared at each other in disbelief."

The woman received the winning "Holiday Gems" scratch-off instant lottery ticket as a gift in a family Christmas exchange, she told lottery officials. Initially, when she saw a winning number, the woman thought she had a $10 winner.

"When I read it was $500,000 I was stunned," she told lottery officials.

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The ticket was purchased at Picolo's Party Store on 23 Mile Road in Shelby Township.

Players have won more than $11 million playing Holiday Gems, which launched in October 2017, the Michigan Lottery reported. Each $10 ticket offers players a chance to win prizes ranging from $10 up to $500,000. More than $12 million in prizes remain, including two $500,000 top prizes, eight $5,000 prizes, and 54 $1,000 prizes.

Lottery instant games may be purchased at 11,000 retailers across the state.

Image by the Michigan Lottery