Man Stops At Detroit Party Store On Way To Airport, Wins $1M On Scratch-Off Ticket

DETROIT — A Maryland man who stopped at a Detroit party store on his way to the airport ended up winning $1 million on a scratch-off ticket, according to lottery officials.

The lucky 46-year-old player bought his winning Lucky Numbers ticket from Forest Liquor, located at 4535 Trumbull Street in Detroit, according to lottery officials.

The man told lottery officials he was visiting family in Michigan and decided to stop at the party store to buy a few tickets for his flight back home.

"I forgot about the tickets, so it wasn’t until a few days later that I found them and scratched them off," he said. "When I saw I’d won $1 million, I thought: ‘This can’t be real.’ I sent a picture of the ticket to my friend to make sure I was reading it right, and he thought it was a prank ticket. We were both in disbelief. This is such a blessing!"

He chose to receive his prize as a one-time lump sum payment of about $693,000 rather than annuity payments for the full amount, according to lottery officials.

With his winnings, he plans to take a trip and then save the remainder, according to lottery officials.