Michigan Man Wins $500K in Detroit Lions Lottery Game After Wife’s Lucky Suggestion

An elderly Isabella County resident struck gold with a $500,000 prize on the Michigan Lottery's Detroit Lions scratch-off game. His wife's suggestion to buy tickets turned into an amazing windfall.

At GCK Oil Inc. in Blanchard, just 20 miles from Mount Pleasant, the 74-year-old winner bought the ticket during a quick stop for Powerball entries. He chose to keep his name private.

"I went to the store to buy a Powerball ticket, and my wife told me to get a few Detroit Lions tickets while I was there," said the winner, according to CBS Detroit. "I scratched the tickets the next morning and when I saw the $500,000 prize, I said to my wife, 'Looks like we're going to Lansing.'"

The news stunned them both. "When I told her how much we'd won, she thought she was going to pass out! We were both dumbfounded. The shock hasn't worn off yet, so we still can't think straight, but what we do know is that this prize is going to be life-changing for us," the winner said.

With his newfound wealth, the winner plans to split it three ways: donations to charity, funds for his grandchildren's future, and savings for his own needs.

Since its August 2025 launch, the Detroit Lions scratch-off game has paid out more than $7 million. Each $5 ticket offers chances to win between $5 and $500,000.

Two more top prizes worth $500,000 remain unclaimed. Players still have chances to grab a share of the $21 million prize pool.

State lottery data shows players have a 1 in 3.63 chance to win something in the Detroit Lions scratch-off game.