Staying in has its perks

By Kate Northrop

BAY CITY, Mich. — A Michigan woman decided to skip a weekend getaway, and as a result, was in the right place at the right time to win a $500,000 prize in the lottery.

Not many can say that they'd be thrilled to pass up on a planned vacation, but one Michigan resident is happy she called it off in exchange for a $500,000 lottery prize.

Traci Verbowski of Kawkawlin didn't feel like following through with a planned weekend getaway and instead opted for something more low-key.

"I really wanted to go on a vacation a few weekends ago, but we ended up staying home and went out to dinner that Saturday night instead," Verbowski told the Michigan Lottery. "After dinner, I remembered I had a few 'Detroit Lions' winning tickets, so I stopped to cash them and purchased some more. I put the tickets in my purse until I got home later that night."

Her lucky stop on the way home from dinner was the 7-Eleven on Wilder Road in Bay City.

"When I scratched one of the tickets and saw I won $500,000, I yelled: 'I think I just won a lot of money!'" she continued. "I showed my family the ticket and no one could believe what they were seeing. I haven't slept a full night since because I have been so anxious and excited to come claim my prize."

The 50-year-old recently visited Lottery headquarters in Lansing to finally make the claim.

"Congratulations to Traci and her family on their huge $500,000 win playing the Detroit Lions instant game," Lottery Commissioner Suzanna Shkreli said in a press release. "The excitement for the Lottery's Detroit Lions themed instant games can be felt all over Michigan and there are still two top prizes out there waiting to be won! Go Lions!"

"Detroit Lions" is a $5 scratch-off game offered by the Michigan Lottery that features the Detroit-based football team of the same name.

"I have been a Detroit Lions fan my whole life, so it was extra exciting to win on the new Detroit Lions game!" Verbowski remarked.

With the winnings, the lucky player plans on purchasing a boat and then saving the rest.

"I'm so glad we ended up not going on vacation that weekend, because if we did, I wouldn't be here claiming $500,000!" she exclaimed.

Verbowski claimed the first of three available top prizes of $500,000 in the $5 "Detroit Lions" game, which launched in September. There are also eight out of ten second-tier prizes of $2,000 and 191 out of 248 third-tier prizes of $500 remaining.

According to the Lottery, players have already won more than $5 million playing the "Detroit Lions" scratch-off game, with more than $21 million in prizes remaining.

The overall odds of winning any prize in the game are 1 in 3.95.

(Click to display full-size in gallery)Traci Verbowski skipped a vacation and won $500,000 in the Michigan Lottery.