Michigan: win US$200,000 in Powerball for using your children’s birthdays | ANSWERS

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Michigan Man Wins $200,000 in Powerball Lottery using Children’s Birthdays
James Allen, 63, from Commerce Township, Michigan, recently won $200,000 in the December 30 Powerball lottery drawing thanks to a winning ticket he bought using his children’s birthdays. While he initially thought he had won $50,000, his prize was quadrupled due to the Power Play option he had added to his play for an extra dollar.

Allen chose the date of his children’s birthdays as his numbers and matched four numbers in the drawing, winning $200,000 instead. He told the Michigan Lottery website, “I checked my ticket and went to bed thinking I had won $50,000 because I forgot about the Power Play add-on game. When I woke up in the morning, I checked again and realized that I had actually won $200,000.”

The Power Play option allows players to multiply any prize other than the jackpot, and Allen’s prize was multiplied by four, allowing him to pocket $200,000. He plans to use the money to pay off his debts.

Michigan Lottery spokesman, Jake Harris, said that many players choose specific sets of numbers that have a special meaning to them, such as using birthday numbers. It’s a strategy that many Powerball players follow, and for Allen, it certainly paid off.

The Powerball lottery, founded in 1992 and played in 45 states, Washington DC, Puerto Rico, and the Virgin Islands, has had some enormous jackpot prizes over the years. The 10 biggest awards in Powerball history include a $2.040 billion prize released on November 7, 2022, in California, a $1.765 billion prize won on October 11, 2023, in California, and a $1.586 billion prize drawn on January 13, 2016, shared between three winners in California, Florida, and Tennessee.

Powerball, which has draws on Monday, Wednesday, and Saturday, has a purchase deadline that varies from one to two hours before the drawing, depending on the sales jurisdiction.

Allen’s heartwarming win serves as a reminder that even small investments in the lottery can pay off, especially when luck is on your side.