Michigan woman thought she won $10,000, then claimed a $634,679 lottery jackpot

A Michigan woman recently claimed a winning lottery ticket worth over $600,000 after initially thinking she’d won only $10,000.  

A Lincoln Park woman thought she was going to have a heart attack when she found out that what she thought was a $10,000 Jackpot Slots Fast Cash jackpot win was actually a $634,679 jackpot win. 

“I was at the store buying a Powerball ticket for the big jackpot and figured I’d get a Fast Cash ticket too,” Margaret Sheppard, 65, said. “I looked the ticket over in the store and saw I’d won the jackpot, so I looked at the jackpot amount on the store’s Fast Cash sign and thought I’d won $10,000.” 

According to Michigan Lottery Connect, Sheppard bought her winning ticket at Lincoln Park Smokers & More, located at 1121 Southfield Road in Lincoln Park. She recently visited Lottery headquarters to claim the big prize. With her winnings, she plans to complete some home improvements and take her grandkids to Disney World. 

“I told the clerk I’d won, but I was bummed because I’d just missed the big jackpot that was over $600,000,” Sheppard said. “He looked at my ticket, then at me, and said: ‘You won the $634,679 jackpot!’ I thought I was going to have a heart attack, so he walked me out to my car. I signed the ticket and then called my husband to tell him the good news!” 

The National Council on Problem Gambling operates the National Problem Gambling Helpline Network, which can be reached at 1-800-GAMBLER. 

The network is a single national access point to local resources for people seeking help for a gambling problem. The network has 28 contact centers that provide resources and referrals for all 50 states and U.S. territories. Help is available 24/7 and is 100% confidential.