Amanda Hughes of Gwinn, Michigan, recently won $500,000 playing the Michigan Lottery’s 50X Wild Time instant game—thanks to a store clerk’s suggestion.
“I don’t usually buy scratch-off tickets often, but I sometimes get one,” said Hughes, 42. “I asked for the $20 Wild Time game, but it was sold out. The clerk recommended 50X Wild Time instead.”
After scratching her ticket, Hughes was shocked to see the $500,000 prize. “At first, I thought I must have misunderstood the instructions. I checked again and then went back to the store to have the clerk scan it. It felt surreal to realize I had really won.”
Hughes bought her winning ticket at Kwik Trip on M-553 in Marquette. She recently visited Lottery headquarters to claim her prize. She plans to buy a house and save the rest for her children.
“This is going to change my family’s life,” Hughes said.
Since its launch in February 2024, 50X Wild Time has paid out over $67 million in prizes. Each $10 ticket offers prizes ranging from $10 to $500,000. More than $24 million in prizes remain, including 52 prizes of $10,000 and 96 prizes of $1,000.
In 2024 alone, players won nearly $1.8 billion on Michigan instant games, which are available at retailers statewide.
