A Michigan man’s weekly lottery habit finally paid off after a decade. Robert Benaglio won $1 million by matching all five numbers in a recent Powerball drawing.
Benaglio, who lives in Metamora about 52 miles north of Detroit, told the Michigan Lottery that he has bought a Powerball ticket every week for 10 years. He only realized he had won just before New Year’s Eve when he scanned his ticket.
He called the win “shocking” and said it is only now starting to feel real. Benaglio plans to pay off his vehicles, take a vacation, and save the rest of the prize.
He also said he will keep buying his weekly ticket because it gives him “$2 worth of daydreaming” each week.
Benaglio joins nearly a dozen Michigan players who became millionaires in 2024 through Powerball. Lottery Commissioner Suzanna Shkreli said these wins also help local businesses that sell the tickets. Last year, retailers earned over $348 million in commissions.
Meanwhile, a $250,000 Powerball prize sold in Bloomfield Hills remains unclaimed. The winner has until March 11, 2025, to claim it.
Another major prize, a $1 million Mega Millions jackpot from a November 2024 draw, also remains unclaimed. The deadline to claim that prize is May 13, 2025.
Powerball tickets cost $2 and are sold in 45 states, Washington D.C., Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands. Players can pay an extra $1 for Power Play or Double Play to increase their chances of winning more money.
Powerball drawings happen three times a week, and winners can choose either a lump sum payment or an annuity paid over 29 years, both subject to taxes.
