South Carolina man, who works in Escanaba, wins $2M on Michigan Lottery instant game

A South Carolina man bought instant lottery tickets instead of going to the casino and it paid off big time. He won $2 million playing the $2,000,000 Mega Multiplier instant game, according to the Michigan Lottery.

Michael Buckner, 58, purchased the winning ticket at the Gladstone Mobil, 2009 Lake Shore Drive in Gladstone. Gladstone is about 10 miles northeast of Escanaba, where he works. Buckner, however, lives in South Carolina.

“When I scratched off the $2,000,000 Mega Multiplier game and saw I won $2 million, I didn’t think it was real," Buckner said in a news release. "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 chose to receive a one-time lump sum payment of about $1.3 million rather than annuity payments for the full amount. He plans to pay bills, share with his family and save the rest.

Related: Kalamazoo lottery club wins $1 million on Mega Millions ticket

Players have won more than $12 million playing $2,000,000 Mega Multiplier which launched in September. Each ticket costs $20 and prizes range from $20 to $2 million.

In 2023, Lottery players won nearly $1.8 billion playing instant games, according to the Michigan Lottery. And more than $1 billion has gone to the School Aid Fund in the 2024 fiscal year for the sixth consecutive year, said Lottery Commissioner Suzanna Shkreli in a news release.

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(The headline was updated in this story.)

This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: S.C. man who works in Escanaba wins $2 million in Michigan Lottery