A Macomb County man won $500,000 on a Christmas scratch-off and waited almost a year to claim it, with Michigan's one-year clock running
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A 68-year-old Macomb County man won $500,000 on a Michigan Lottery 25 Days of Winning scratch-off at his family's Christmas party last year, then held on to the ticket for nearly a year before claiming the prize, the Michigan Lottery said. He chose to stay anonymous.
He and his wife buy lottery tickets for the whole family every Christmas, he said, and their son fanned them out so each person could pick one. “I said that I'd won something, but I thought it was only $500,” he said. A relative scanned the ticket with the Lottery app. “Uh, you have a few more zeros than that!” The ticket came from M & H Petro LLC, 16851 15 Mile Road in Clinton Township. He plans to save the money as a financial cushion.
The wait was riskier than it sounds. Michigan gives instant-game winners one year from the purchase date to claim, and after that the ticket expires and the prize is forfeited, even if the last day falls on a weekend or holiday. Since the family bought its tickets before Christmas 2025, his deadline fell no later than Christmas 2026. Draw-game prizes in Michigan get one year from the drawing instead. A prize this size had to be claimed in person at lottery headquarters in Lansing.
| Prize | Total | Left |
|---|---|---|
| $500,000 | 2 | 1 |
| $1,000 | 10 | 6 |
| $500 | 357 | 93 |
| $100 | 55,011 | 16,098 |
25 Days of Winning is a $10 ticket built like an advent calendar, with 25 days to scratch, a double symbol, a 10X symbol, and a candle that wins all 25 prizes. It launched in the fall of 2025 with two $500,000 top prizes in about 3.6 million tickets, roughly 1 in 1.8 million each, and the lottery's list still shows one of them unclaimed. The game wins 1 in 3.60 times, returns 75.1% of sales, and about 70% of its tickets have sold. Players have won more than $18 million on it so far, the lottery said.
If you have old tickets in a drawer, checking them online or in an app takes seconds, and each state sets its own expiration rules. Michigan's other games are on the Michigan scratch-offs page.
Sources
Michigan Lottery: Christmas cash, Macomb County man won $500,000 on 25 Days of Winning
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Frequently Asked Questions
Where was the $500,000 25 Days of Winning ticket sold?
At M & H Petro LLC, 16851 15 Mile Road in Clinton Township, the Michigan Lottery said November 6, 2026. The 68-year-old Macomb County winner, who chose to stay anonymous, scratched it at a family Christmas party in 2025.
How long do you have to claim a Michigan Lottery scratch-off prize?
One year from the date the ticket was bought, the Michigan Lottery says. After that the ticket expires and the prize is forfeited, even if the deadline falls on a weekend or holiday. Draw-game prizes get one year from the drawing.
How many top prizes are left on Michigan's 25 Days of Winning?
One of two $500,000 top prizes, according to the Michigan Lottery's prizes-remaining list. The $10 game launched in fall 2025, wins 1 in 3.60 times overall, and about 70% of its tickets have been sold.
Jessie Jurado is a news writer who covers new scratch-off launches, state lottery guides, taxes on winnings, news, and much more. She joined ScratchCheck in 2026 and writes the site's state-by-state coverage.
