Burton Man Wins $1 Million on Michigan Lottery Game Show

Retirement is on the horizon for a Burton man who won $1 million on the Michigan Lottery’s $1,000,000 Play It Again game show.

Jeff Ervin won the big prize by scoring 26 on two rolls of five dice. He beat out Kevin Jones, of Saginaw, and Kathleen LaPlante, of Southgate, in the game, which was aired Wednesday by TV stations across Michigan. Although Ervin was the big winner, Jones and LaPlante each took home $5,000.

“I can’t believe I just won $1 million,” said a stunned Ervin on the show’s set after his big win. “I’ve been a dedicated Players Club member for years, but I never really expected to be the one standing here. It still seems just too good to be true.”

The 55-year-old Ervin has been a loyal Lottery player for years, and says Club Keno is his favorite Lottery game.

“I have fun playing the Lottery, but I never thought I’d become a millionaire doing it. This money puts my mind at ease and will help my family in so many ways,” Ervin said.

The cool and collected Ervin arrived at the Cobo Center in Detroit happy to know he’d be leaving with at least $5,000.

“For me, the thought of winning $5,000 was so great,” said Ervin. “I didn’t want to get ahead of myself and start making plans for $1 million in case I didn’t win.”

The $1 million prize comes at a great time for Ervin, who is unemployed and has been looking for a job.

“I’ve been trying to find work for a while now, and it’s been tough,” said Ervin. “I’ve thought about retiring, but I am still a little young for that and it would have been tough for me to do financially. With this big check, my decision to retire is going to be a little easier.”

In addition to retiring, Ervin plans to pay off some bills, do some home improvement projects, and upgrade his vehicle.

Players redeemed Players Club points for entries into the drawing. Each entry for the $1,000,000 Play It Again drawing required 10 Players Club points and more than 11.2 million entries were submitted. There was no limit on the number of entries that each player could submit.

The 2016 Play It Again drawing is open to Players Club members. There is no limit to the number of entries that each Players Club member may have in the drawing. The entry deadline for the 2016 drawing is Aug. 2, 2016.

The Players Club is a free program that gives Lottery players the chance to accumulate points by entering codes from non-winning instant, pull tab, draw game tickets, and through online game play. Points may be redeemed for entries into drawings for prizes and once-in-a-lifetime experiences or for merchandise, including Lottery free-play coupons.