
Persistence finally pays off
By Kate Northrop
METAMORA, Mich. — A Michigan man's persistence playing the lottery once a week for the past ten years has finally paid off when he won a $1 million Powerball prize last month.
One Michigan man's dedication to the lottery rewarded him with an early Christmas surprise after he landed a $1 million prize in a Powerball drawing.
Robert Benaglio of Dryden couldn't believe he was entering the new year with a winning ticket worth a million dollars after a decade of trying to win the lottery.
Just like any other week, he purchased a Powerball ticket for the Dec. 23, 2024 drawing at the Metamora BP gas station on South Lapeer Road in Metamora.
"I have bought a Powerball ticket for one drawing each week for ten years," Benaglio told the Michigan Lottery. "I won the prize just before Christmas, but I didn't know I was a big winner until I scanned the ticket on New Year's Eve."
Benaglio's ticket matched all five white ball numbers in the drawing — 22, 42, 44, 57, and 64 — but just missed the red Powerball number 18 to win the then-$108 million jackpot. He still beat incredible odds of 1 in 11,688,054 to win the game's second-tier prize.
"The only word I can use to describe the feeling of finding out you've won $1 million is shocking," the winner continued. "I think it's finally starting to hit me and I'm just now believing that this is real!"
The jackpot in this cycle went on to reach $328.5 million and was won by a single ticket in Oregon. The Oregon Lottery announced that a ticket holder has come forward to claim the prize but has not officially announced any winner as of now.
Benaglio visited Lottery headquarters in Lansing recently to claim his prize, the Lottery announced on Wednesday. With the winnings, he's looking forward to paying off his vehicles and taking a vacation. He'll then save the remainder of whatever is left.
"In 2024, ten Michigan Lottery players became millionaires playing the Powerball game, including a lottery club that won an $842.4 million jackpot," Lottery Commissioner Suzanna Shkreli said in a press release. "Not only are these prizes impactful for the winners, but also for the retailers that sell them, many of which are local family-owned businesses, which get a commission for selling the winning ticket. Last year, retailers earned more than $348 million in commissions."
While Benaglio's persistence finally paid off, nothing about his lottery playing habits will change anytime soon.
"I still plan to continue my weekly ritual of buying a Powerball ticket," Benaglio remarked. "I get $2 worth of daydreaming out of it each week, so why not?"
The next Powerball annuity jackpot estimate for the drawing on Monday, Jan. 27 currently stands at $56 million.
Powerball is currently offered for sale in 45 states, plus Washington, D.C., Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands. Drawings are Mondays, Wednesdays, and Saturdays at 10:59 p.m. Eastern Time. Tickets cost $2 each.
Powerball lottery results are published within minutes of the drawing at USA Mega (www.usamega.com). The USA Mega website provides lottery players in-depth information about the United States' two biggest multi-state lottery games, Mega Millions and Powerball.
Congrats Robert, keep playing and get the whole thing.
Always upgrade you just never know.
Happy for you Robert.
Matching the 5 numbers is just as hard as matching all six.
Getting my ticket for today's PB drawing 😄
One just never knows, the gods could be smiling at me 😁
Indeed matching the 5 white balls alone is still as hard as matching all 6 numbers and Yes, the gods ultimately makes the final decisions.
Michigan tend to save big prizes for people in their sixties and older. It happens quite frequently with scratch off winners.
This is so interesting, I have had such thoughts too, not about Michigan or any State for that matter, but just the thought of winning a jackpot or large sums when one is in their 70's.
It feels so pointless and probably good for grand kids.
I think 30 something to 55 is a good age, and not in any way frowning upon age.
No, that is not true. Older people just play the lottery more so naturally they are going to win more often. I read an article a few weeks ago that said most younger people feel. playing the lottery is a waste of money so they don't play. I commented, young people feel that playing the lottery is a waste of money until an older family member who plays the lottery wins big and that young person is going to want some of the money..LOL!
It is never pointless to win large sums of many at an older age. Just because someone is in their 50's and beyond, they still don't know how much longer they are going to live so, they need money just like a younger person. I read an article a few weeks ago stating, most young people don't play the lottery because they feel that it is a waste of money. That same young person who feels that playing the lottery is a waste of money, will want some of the jackpot money that their family member just won. I say let the older person continue to win big because they are the ones who play the most.