Michigan Powerball Numbers

State Specific Rules

You have to be at least 18 years old to play Powerball in Michigan. The standard rules of the game apply but, unlike in the majority of states, you have the choice to purchase your tickets online or in-store.

Playing Online

Once you have set up an online account, you can either select an ‘Easy Pick’ to have your numbers randomly generated for you, or choose ‘Pick My Numbers’ if you would like to enter your own. You can then decide how many lines you would like to play, up to a maximum of 100, and enter those numbers in up to 30 consecutive drawings.

Decide whether you would like to add the Power Play or not, then you’re ready to checkout. Once you have bought your tickets, you will be able to see them in the ‘Upcoming Purchased Draws’ section of your account. In future draws, you then have the option to ‘Use Favorite Purchase’ if you want to stick with a particular set of numbers.

Playing In-Store

If you play via a licensed retailer, you also have the option to select an Easy Pick if you don’t want to choose your own numbers. Play up to 30 consecutive drawings by marking the appropriate section of the ‘multiple draw wagers’ area on your playslip. If you have bought a Powerball ticket within the past 31 days, you can also ask for a ‘Replay’ and all of the same selections will be reprinted for the next available draw.

The following rules are also specific to Powerball in Michigan:

• You can select the Double Play option in Michigan for an extra $1 per set of numbers.
• The cut-off time for ticket sales is 9:45pm ET on draw days. Sales for the next drawing will automatically begin after this time if you play online, but you will have to wait until after the draw takes place at 10:59pm ET if you wish to play in-store.
• If you win a prize of more than $5,000, state tax will be withheld at a rate of 4.25 percent, in addition to the 24 percent federal tax.

You can watch Powerball drawings on the following stations in Michigan, depending on where you are:

How to Claim Prizes

The claims process in Michigan depends on how much you win and whether you played online or through a retailer.

Online Players

Winnings of up to $600 will be deposited directly into your online account. For amounts between $600.01 and $50,000, you will need to submit an online claim and provide copies of your social security card and valid government-issued photo ID (such as a driver’s license or state ID). The money will then be deposited into your online account. If you win more than $50,000 you must claim your prize in person from the Michigan Lottery headquarters in Lansing and will need to provide valid photo ID and your social security card.

Retail Players

You can claim prizes of up to $600 from any licensed lottery retailer in the state. If you win more than $600 and up to $5,000, you can redeem your prize from any of the Michigan Lottery’s regional claim centers or from certain partner bank claim centers. You must provide your winning ticket, valid government-issued ID and social security card. Prizes above $50,000 can only be claimed at the main Michigan Lottery office in Lansing.

The addresses of the regional claim centers, including the lottery headquarters in Lansing, are shown in the table below. Opening hours are 8:00am to 4:30pm ET, Monday through Friday.

You can also claim prizes between $600.01 and $500,000 at the following Secretary of State branches:

Claims can also be submitted by mail to the Michigan Lottery headquarters at the address listed above. You just need to send in your winning ticket and a claim form, together with a copy of your social security card and a valid government-issued photo ID.

If you play as part of a lottery pool, you will need to complete a form for club winnings. Each member of the group must provide valid identification, along with proof of their social security, and the tax liability will then be divided between everyone.

Claim Period

The claim period in Michigan is one year from the date of the drawing. If you do not come forward within this time period, your prize will be transferred to the School Aid Fund. If you win the jackpot, you have 60 days from the date you claim to decide whether you wish to take the annuity or the lump sum.

Lost and Damaged Tickets

A ticket will be deemed to be void if it does not pass the Michigan Lottery’s validation tests, so there is no guarantee that you will be able to claim a prize if your ticket has been damaged. At the lottery’s discretion, you may be refunded the price of your ticket. You will not be able to claim any prize if your ticket has been lost, so you should sign the back of it to show that it belongs to you. If you play online it is impossible for your ticket to be lost or damaged as the numbers are stored safely in your account.

Going Public

You will not be able to stay anonymous if you win a Powerball prize in Michigan. A bill was introduced in 2015-2016 which would have allowed big winners to stay private if they wished, but after passing the House it did not clear the Senate Regulatory Reform Committee and was not made into law. Your name, city and prize amount will therefore be made public if you win.

Where Does the Money Go?

Every time you buy a Powerball ticket in Michigan, $0.60 will be used to pay prizes, while $0.09 goes to retailers as commission and $0.03 is needed for the operational costs of running the state lottery. The remaining $0.28 goes to the School Aid Fund, and since 1972 the Michigan Lottery has contributed more than $21 billion to support public education.

The School Aid Fund benefits school districts, higher education and school employees’ retirement systems. The funding helps students throughout the Great Lake State, and in recent years it has worked out to be more than $600 per child all the way through from kindergarten to the 12th grade.

Michigan Powerball Winners

Donald Lawson from Lapeer became Michigan’s biggest Powerball winner on August 15, 2012 when he landed a jackpot of $337 million. A self-confessed ‘hillbilly’, Dawson bought his winning ticket from a Sunoco gas station and decided to take the time to choose his own numbers because there was a long line waiting to be served. When he found he had had won, he called his boss straight away and told him he would not be coming back into work as a railroad engineer ever again. Lawson opted for the cash sum of $224 million.

Julie Leach of Three Rivers fell just short of Lawson’s record on September 30, 2015, claiming a jackpot of $310 million with a ticket she bought at a Shell gas station. A fiberglass factory employee, she described her job as ‘nasty and dirty’ and was on a break from a ‘really bad night at work’ when she checked the results at McDonald’s and discovered that she had won. Just like Lawson, she quit her job immediately and chose the lump sum, which in her case was worth $197 million.

On New Year’s Day 2024, the Michigan record for Powerball was broken when a single ticket won $842.4 million. The lucky ticket had been bought at the Food Castle in Grand Blanc. The winners were three members of a lottery club which they named 'The Breakfast Club'. Mark K. Harder, the attorney and representative of the club, shared: ''As you can imagine, the club members have felt so many emotions since realizing their ticket was ‘the one.’ They’ve been elated and overwhelmed, thrilled, and nervous. They’ve gone from shock and sleepless nights to giving careful thought as to how this once-in-a-lifetime event will transform their lives.'' The lottery club chose the cash option of $425 million.