A LUCKY lotto winner has revealed how he scooped a $2million jackpot at the Mega Multiplier Lottery after making a “popular choice”.
Michael Buckner, 58, from South Carolina decided to buy a $20 ticket for an instant lotto game instead of trying his luck at a casino – and it paid off big time.
Michael Buckner opted to buy instant tickets instead of going to the casino and it paid off big time[/caption]
He revealed how he was caught in a dilemma while choosing between playing a game at a nearby casino or easy lotto tickets, hoping to get an instant prize.
“I was trying to decide between going to the casino or buying instant tickets and ended up deciding to buy instant tickets,” the lucky man said.
He described how he felt it was all unreal the moment he scooped the jackpot.
“When I scratched off the $2,000,000 Mega Multiplier game and saw I won $2 million, I didn’t think it was real,” he added.
“I called my girlfriend to tell her what I won, but she didn’t believe it either. It still hasn’t fully sunk in!”
Buckner then visited the Lottery headquarters to claim the big prize.
Instead of getting small but regular payments, he decided to get about $1.3million in full as a one-time payment, according to Michigan Lottery Connect.
“Michael made a winning decision when he spent $20 to buy a $2,000,000 Mega Multiplier instant game ticket,” said Lottery Commissioner, Suzanna Shkreli.
“Instant games are a popular choice with players throughout Michigan and helped the Lottery post a contribution of more than $1 billion to the School Aid Fund in the 2024 fiscal year for the sixth consecutive year.”
Buckner now plans to share the money with his family and save the rest for his retirement.
It comes after a lucky lottery player was left shocked when he won a multi-million dollar jackpot after trying for over three decades.
Kevin Connor of Leicester, Massachusetts — just west of Worcester — won the $2.64 million Megabucks jackpot on Saturday, August 24.
However, the person responsible for the win is his wife, CBS News reported.
This is because she is a major inspiration for all the lottery tickets he has bought in the more than 30 years he has played.
“He plays a combination that consists of his wife’s old landline number from when they first started dating, as well as his wife’s favorite number,” lottery officials told the outlet.
Connor purchased the ticket as part of his usual lottery routine after playing golf at the Hillcrest Country Club.
The winning numbers were: 5, 6, 8, 9, 24, 32.
Connor told lottery officials he was in Maine with the family for the weekend when he realized he had won big.
After the draw, he checked the lottery app and his life changed when Connor beat the odds of one in 7,059,052 to win the top prize.
However, he had a tough decision to make before he could take the cash home to his wife.
Winners of large lottery prizes have to decide if they want to take home a lesser lump sum after taxes or the full amount.
Those who choose the latter will accept their cash in a series of annual payments where taxes are deducted each year.
Connor took the most popular option of taking home the lump-sum prize of $1.8 million before tax.
Around “90% of all lottery winners take the lump sum distribution,” Lottery lawyer Andrew Stoltmann previously told The U.S. Sun.
Last week, a lottery player in Michigan who won a $4 million jackpot chose to sacrifice over $1 million to immediately receive the cash.
Meanwhile, a raft of lottery players in the same state have been urged to check their tickets as almost 30 prizes go unclaimed.
Lottery winnings: lump sum or annuity?
The two payout methods can impact how much money you get from your prize.
Annuities pay out slowly in increments, often over 30 years.
Lump sums pay all at once but in a smaller amount, as taxes are withheld in one go. That means 24% of your prize goes to Uncle Sam right away. Many states tax winnings as well.
Annuities can provide winners time to set up the financial infrastructure required to take in a life-changing amount of money, but lump sums have the benefit of being taxed only once.
Inflation is also worth considering when making a choice, as payouts do not adjust with the value of a dollar. That means that you’ll likely be getting less valuable money towards the end of an annuity.
Each state and game pays out prizes differently, so it’s best to check with your state’s lottery to confirm payment policies. A financial advisor can also help you weigh the pros and cons of each option.
Experts have varying opinions on whether to take the lump sum or take the annuity.
Top lottery winners in the US
Millions dream of winning the lottery and finding fame and fortune. These are the biggest winners in US lottery history.
- Edwin Castro – $2.04 billion, Powerball, Nov. 8, 2022, in California.
- Theodorus Struyck – $1.765 billion, Powerball, Oct. 11, 2023, in California.
- Unknown winner – $1.602 billion, Mega Millions, Aug. 8, 2023, in Florida.
- Marvin and Mae Acosta from Los Angeles, California, John and Lisa Robinson from Munford, Tennessee, and Maureen Smith and David Kaltschmidt from Melbourne Beach, Florida – $1.586 billion, Powerball, Jan. 13, 2016.
- Unknown winner – $1.537 billion, Mega Millions, Oct. 23, 2018, from South Carolina.
- Unknown winner – he sued the mother of his child to keep his identity hidden – $1.348 billion, Mega Millions, Jan. 13, 2023, from Maine.
- Unknown winner – $1.337 billion, Mega Millions, July 29, 2022, from Illinois.
- Cheng and Duanpen Saephan, and Laiza Liem Chao – $1.326 billion, Powerball, April 7, 2024, from Oregon.
- Yanira Alvarez – $1.08 billion Powerball, July 19, 2023 in California.
- Wolverine FLL Lottery Club – $1.05 billion, Mega Millions, Jan. 22, 2021, from Michigan.
- Unknown winner – $842.4 million Powerball, Jan. 1, 2024, from Michigan.
