Imagine looking at a winning Powerball ticket and thinking this has got to be an April Fools' Day prank!
That is exactly what happened to a Michigan Lottery player who thought he was the victim of an April Fools' Day joke when he learned he won $100,000 playing Powerball.
The winning ticket
Jeremiah Maher, 43, of Troy, purchased his winning ticket at 7-Eleven, located at 20945 Ecorse Road in Taylor.
He matched four white balls and the Powerball in the April 1 drawing to win a $50,000 prize. However, he also chose the Power Play option for an additional $1, which doubled his prize to $100,000.
The winning white ball numbers for the April 1 drawing were 19, 24, 40, 42, and 56, and the Powerball number was 23.
'Felt so unreal'
Maher recently visited Lottery headquarters to claim his winnings. He told Lottery officials he plans to use these winnings to help build a new house. He also talked with officials about the shock and confusion when winning on April Fools’ Day.
Maher said:
I looked at my numbers after the drawing and I thought someone was pulling an April Fools' Day prank on me. It felt so unreal to see my numbers come up in the drawing. It's definitely the most exciting April Fools' Day I've ever had!
How does the Michigan Lottery work?
The Michigan Lottery is an independent agency within the State of Michigan. The Commissioner of the Michigan Lottery reports directly to the Governor. The Lottery is self-funded and operates as a business enterprise. The goal of the Michigan Lottery is to maximize contributions to its good cause, which is the state School Aid Fund.
Besides giving Michigan residents fun and entertaining games of chance, the Lottery also supports schools and businesses and provides jobs to Michiganders.
So, how does the Michigan Lottery support schools? Since its inception in 1972, the Lottery has contributed all agency profits to the State of Michigan School Aid Fund, which was created in 1955. The School Aid Fund’s purpose is to aid school districts in funding K-12 public education. The money from the School Aid Fund is allocated to schools by the Legislature and Governor. The Michigan Lottery has no say in how the funds are distributed from the fund.
While the Michigan Lottery contributes to the School Aid Fund, it's not the only source of money for the fund. Contributions are also made by the state sales and use tax, earmarked income tax, state education property tax, some federal funds, as well as cigarette, liquor, and other taxes.
You often hear stories about unclaimed prizes in the lottery, but do you ever wonder what happens to that money if the prize is never claimed? All unclaimed prizes in the Michigan Lottery are given back to the School Aid Fund if not claimed within one year of the drawing date.
Enjoy playing the Michigan Lottery, and please remember to play responsibly.
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