A Michigan man got a life-changing surprise after deciding on the spot to buy an extra lottery ticket while riding a streak of good luck.
Gilbert Godinez, 69, was at a local grocery store when he made the impulse purchase, according to a news release from the Michigan Lottery.
“When the Super Raffle game launched, I told myself I was going to buy one ticket a month until the drawing took place,” Godinez told lottery officials.
However, on that particular day, he decided to go beyond his original plan.
“I was at the store cashing in a win on a scratch off about two weeks before the drawing and decided to use my winnings to buy one more Super Raffle ticket,” he explained.
That extra ticket, with raffle number 188964, ended up winning him a $100,000 prize.
The win didn’t sink in right away.
“The day of the drawing, I got on MichiganLottery.com to check my raffle numbers and was stunned,” Godinez said. “I never would have thought I’d win a prize like this, so it’s pretty unbelievable!”
Godinez already has a responsible — and fun — plan for the windfall. “I plan to invest a portion of the money and then have some fun with the rest!” he said.
According to the Michigan Lottery, the Super Raffle featured the “richest payout of any raffle game offered by the Lottery.” It included a top prize of $6 million, two $1 million prizes, and thousands of smaller cash prizes.
The Michigan Lottery is dedicated to providing revenue for state education programs. According to its website, every purchase benefits K–12 education, as well as local businesses and companies. This year, it has contributed over $1 billion to the Michigan School Aid fund.
If you or someone you know is struggling with a gambling problem, please contact the National Problem Gambling Helpline Network at 1-800-522-4700 or go to gamtalk.org.
