Farmington Hills Man Wins $3M Lottery Prize

FARMINGTON HILLS, MI — A Farmington Hills man had to convince his wife they were millionaires after he won a $3 million Mega Millions prize.

David Smith, 59, matched the five white balls drawn – 20-34-39-43-57 – in Tuesday’s drawing, good for a $1 million prize. Thanks to the Megaplier, the player’s prize was multiplied by three for a $3 million prize. He bought the winning ticket online at MichiganLottery.com.

“I was checking my tickets online Wednesday morning, and out of the corner of my eye I saw the $3 million winner,” said Smith. “I called my wife right away and it took me 10 minutes to convince her we’d won $3 million.

“She was still skeptical, so she had me send her a screenshot and then Googled the numbers herself. We were both stunned. We’re still in shock.”

Smith’s $3 million prize is the largest ever won with a ticket bought at MichiganLottery.com. Two players have won $1 million. In February 2015, Pam Rawson, of Grand Junction won $1 million playing the Diamond Payout instant game. In July 2016, Tammy Weadock, of Onsted, won a $1 million Powerball prize.

Smith visited Lottery headquarters on Friday to claim the big prize. He plans to complete some home improvements, take his family on a vacation, and then save the remainder for retirement.
“Winning takes so much pressure off with our retirement coming up in a few years. We couldn’t be more thankful and humble,” Smith said.

Mega Millions drawings take place each Tuesday and Friday evening. Each Mega Millions play is only $2. For an additional $1 per play, players have the opportunity to add a “Megaplier” that can multiply non-jackpot prizes by up to five times. Mega Millions tickets are sold in 44 states, Washington D.C., and the U.S. Virgin Islands.

Mega Millions tickets for may be purchased online at MichiganLottery.com and at the Lottery’s 10,500 retailers around the state until 10:45 p.m. the day of the drawing.