After a ten-year ritual of playing Powerball, one Michigan man finally realizes his dream and wins a cool $1 million dollars.
A Michigan man’s commitment to Powerball each week finally paid off – big time.
Robert Benaglio of Lapeer County kicked off the New Year with a $1 million prize after matching the five white balls in the December 23 drawing: 22-42-44-57-64. He purchased his winning ticket at the Metamora BP, located at 3839 South Lapeer Rd. in Metamora.
“I have bought a Powerball ticket for one drawing each week for 10 years,” he said. And this Powerball winner story proves that a little faith, a bit of luck, and some Powerball-playing consistency can be life-changing.
The Shock of Winning After 10 Years
Benaglio shared, “I won the prize just before Christmas, but I didn’t know I was a big winner until I scanned the ticket on New Year’s Eve.” Benaglio went on to say, “The only word I can use to describe the feeling of finding out you’ve won $1 million is shocking. I think it’s finally starting to hit me, and I just now believe this is real!”
Benaglio visited the Michigan Lottery headquarters to claim his prize. He plans to pay off his vehicles and take a long overdue vacation with his winnings. Despite his windfall, he doesn’t plan to stop playing Powerball anytime soon, either.
“I still plan to continue my weekly ritual of buying a Powerball ticket,” he said. “I get $2 worth of daydreaming out of it each week, so why not?”
Michigan’s Powerball Success Stories
Michigan proved to be a lucky state for Powerball players in 2024. Ten players became millionaires, including a lottery club that claimed a $842.2 million jackpot, according to Lottery Commissioner Suzanna Shkreli.
The three-member lottery club from Mid-Michigan, dubbed “The Breakfast Club”, won the Powerball jackpot (the largest Powerball prize ever won in Michigan) by matching all five numbers drawn on January 1, 2024: 12-21-42-44-49. The winning Powerball ticket purchase took place at a Food Castle in Grand Blanc. The Club took a one-time lump sum payment, receiving $305 million after state and federal taxes.
The last time a Michigan resident won the Powerball jackpot was on February 12, 2020, when Christy Davis of Waterford won $70 million. Davis purchased her winning ticket at the Huron Plaza Liquor store in Pontiac. She chose a lump-sum payment of around $36 million after taxes.
“Not only are these prizes impactful for the winners, but also for the retailers that sell them, many of which are local family-owned businesses, which get a commission for selling the ticket,” Shkreli said. Last year, retailers collectively earned more than $348 million in commission. Michigan schools have benefited big from Powerball wins, too – receiving more than $1 billion in lottery proceeds in each of the last five years.
Powerball: Easy to Play, Exciting to Win!
Looking to play Powerball? You have three easy and exciting ways to join the fun: online, in person, or through the app. To play in person, purchase a ticket from an authorized retailer, usually a gas station, convenience store, or supermarket. A physical ticket will be printed out and handed to you. To play online, visit your state’s Powerball website. Every state that participates in Powerball has its own website. To buy tickets and play, you’ll need to set up an online account and enter proof of age. One thing to note: Only prizes that are $600 or less can be cashed in via the website. For winnings over $600, you’ll need to visit the State Lottery Commission to claim your prize.
Want to increase your potential prize? Add the Power Play option to your ticket for an extra $1 per play. Power Play won’t multiply the jackpot, but it can boost non-jackpot prizes by 2X, 3X, 4X, 5X, or even 10X when the jackpot is below $150 million. For example, a $1 million prize could become $2 million with Power Play!
No matter how you choose to play Powerball, play responsibly by setting a budget. And most importantly – have fun!