LANSING, MI -- Winning a $1 million prize would make any lottery player happy, but winning two in one drawing because you made a mistake? For a Dearborn Heights man, what started as a mistake led to him winning an extra $1 million after he matched all five white numbers drawn for the Mega Millions drawing held on June 9.
Samir Mazahem, 56, bought his winning tickets on the Michigan Lottery website, but not without a bit of confusion.
“I went online and bought a ticket using numbers that are family birthdays,” said Mazahem. "I forgot to save the numbers as favorites in the app, so I went back in and set them up as favorites so I could easily play them in the future.
“What I didn’t realize, is that meant I would be buying a second ticket with the same numbers. Once I figured out I had bought two tickets with identical numbers, I was a little bummed but didn’t think much about it.”
In fact, Mazahem paid so little attention that he was unaware that he’d even won the two $1 million prizes until the next time he logged into his lottery account.
“I recently logged into the app to check on some tickets I had bought, and that is when I saw I had two $1 million prizes pending. Saying that I was stunned is an understatement," Mazahem said. "I couldn’t believe it was real. It took several days for the reality to set in that my mistake had paid off to the tune of $2 million!”
He visited Michigan Lottery headquarters in Lansing recently to claim his prize. With his winnings, he plans on buying a new house and saving the remainder.
“Winning is exciting and gives me some comfort knowing that when I retire, I will have money in the bank,” Mazahem said.
For the latest on Michigan Lottery, check out the official Michigan Lottery site, which also offers more information on instant tickets, raffles and other lottery games.
The last player from Michigan to win a Mega Millions or Powerball jackpot was Cristy Davis of Waterford who won $70 million playing Powerball in February. With her winnings, Davis said she planned to buy a new house and car.
And while she was a lucky winner, it’s smart for players to check their tickets immediately as a winner worth $1 million sold in Hartland last year went unclaimed. The ticket was purchased at the Speedway in Hartland, but the winner never came forward to claim the prize. The money instead went to the state’s School Aid Fund.
If you’d like to be the next player from Michigan to win a huge lottery prize, take a look at these tips from lottery expert Richard Lustig. The author of “Learn How To Increase Your Chances Of Winning The Lottery” has won more than $1 million in Florida by winning top jackpot prizes in smaller games.