Man who lost everything in flood wins $2.5m in lottery scratchie

A man has become a millionaire after scoring a huge win on a lottery ticket, describing his sudden change in fortune as “overwhelming”.

A Michigan man who “lost everything” in a flood a year ago just won $US2 million ($A2.5 million) on a scratchie.

The 29-year-old, who chose to remain anonymous, said he “couldn’t stop shaking” when he found out about his sudden change in fortune.

“Last year, I lost everything in a flood, so to win this prize is so overwhelming to me,” he said in a statement released by state lottery officials.

He was on his way to pick up his kids from school when he stopped at a grocery store in Midland – and a ticket for the lottery’s Lucky 7s instant game caught his eye.

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The man opted to be paid out with a lump sum rather than taking a yearly payment. Picture: Andrew Harrer/Bloomberg

“Seven is a lucky number for me, so I decided to take a chance and bought the ticket,” said the main, who also won $US10,000 ($A13,000) playing the lottery a few years ago.

“I scratched it off when I got back to my car. When I saw I had a match, I thought: ‘Great, I won my money back!’ When I saw I had actually won $US2 million ($A2.5 million), I couldn’t stop shaking.”

He went to the lottery headquarters to claim his big prize, opting for the lump sum of about $US1.3 million ($A1.7 million) instead of receiving annuity payments for the full $US2 million ($A2.5 million).

He said he plans to pay off bills and save what’s left of his winnings.

“Knowing my kids will be taken care of is the best feeling in the world,” he said.

This story originally appeared on the New York Post and is reproduced here with permission