Lansing, Mich.
Beginner’s luck proved true for a Michigan woman who cashed a $1 million Powerball prize while playing the lottery for the first time.
According to the Michigan Lottery, Joni Thompson matched the five white balls in the Nov. 8 Powerball drawing that returned the million-dollar payout.
“I’d never played Powerball before, but I decided to purchase a ticket after seeing the jackpot was over a billion dollars,” Thompson said. “After the drawing, I saw a social media post about a $1 million prize won in Mecosta County, so I went to the lottery site to write down the winning numbers and checked my ticket.”
Thompson said she bought her winning ticket at a Country Corner Supermarket in Stanwood, about 35 miles west of Mount Pleasant.
“When I realized I was the big winner, I started hyperventilating,” Thompson said. “I had my son scan my ticket on his lottery app to make sure I was reading it right. I am still speechless.”
Thompson, 54, recently visited Michigan Lottery headquarters to claim her prize. She said she plans to use her winnings to build her new business and save the remaining amount.
The Powerball $2 billion jackpot was also hit on Nov. 8 by a ticket bought in California.