The Michigan Lottery is reflecting on a successful year.
Lottery spokesperson Jake Harris tells us the Lotto in 2024 awarded more than $3 billion in prizes with 48 players who won $1 million or more. That includes a $842 million Powerball winner in January, which was actually a three-member lottery club in Grand Blanc.
Harris says the dollars Michigan Lottery players spend on their tickets make a big difference for the state.
“I would say the most notable thing that Lottery accomplished in 2024 is contributing $1.2 billion to the School Aid Fund,” Harris said. “That contribution is our sixth consecutive contribution of more than a billion dollars to the School Aid Fund and really helps fund public education throughout the state.”
Harris says the biggest selling games are the multi-state Mega Millions and Powerball, but other, in-state only games are popular as well.
“Our instant games in Michigan are very popular. You see those at some of our 10,000 plus retailers throughout the state. Those are, of course, the scratch off tickets that people really seem to enjoy. Those account for nearly half of overall lottery sales.”
Since the Lottery began in 1972, players have collected more than $55 billion in prizes. Harris says in addition to the 48 players who won $1 million or more in 2024, about 200 players won prizes of at least $100,000 this year.
As for what’s coming up, Harris notes Friday’s Mega Millions jackpot is now more than $1.15 billion. If a winner were to take the cash option, they’d walk away with $516 million. The odds of that happening? 1 in 302.6 million.
