Lucky mix up helps Michigan woman win $100K Powerball prize

• A Saint Helen, Michigan, woman won $100,000 prize from Powerball after matching four white balls and the Powerball number on the game’s July 20, 2026, drawing
• The winner nearly missed the hefty prize after miscommunication when purchasing her ticket
• The player returned to get more tickets, adding the Power Play option which increased her payout from $50,000 to $100,000

A misunderstanding between a lottery player and a store clerk resulted in a life-enhancing six-figure prize.

That’s what happened to one Roscommon County, Michigan woman, who scored a sweet six-figure prize from Powerball recently.

The lucky woman bought Powerball tickets twice

The fortunate woman decided to give Powerball a try, buying a ticket for the game’s July 20, 2026, drawing.

The winner, a frequent player, purchased her Powerball ticket at the Shell gas station on 2007 North M 76 in Saint Helen, a city about 20 miles east of Houghton Lake.

"I play Powerball all the time and have a special set of numbers I usually use," the 68-year-old woman said.

Interestingly, the Saint Helen woman purchased her ticket but then she saw that the Power Play option wasn’t added, likely due to miscommunication between herself and the store clerk.

Power Play costs an extra $1 per play and offers a multiplier of 2x, 3x, 4x, 5x or 10x on all non-jackpot prizes.

Although the Saint Helen woman was in her car already, she decided to go back and buy a couple of extra tickets, adding the Power Play option, too.

"I went back into the store to get another ticket with the Power Play and told the cashier to give me a few easy pick numbers this time," the woman explained.

On the next day, the woman returned to the store to check her Powerball tickets.

This is when the woman saw a message encouraging her to file a claim and she got confused.

Her confusion quickly cleared after the store clerk told her, "It’s you!," adding that the gas station was notified earlier that a Powerball ticket winning $100,000 was sold there.

Hearing this, the fortunate player’s eyes filled with tears, and she started shaking with joy.

"I’m so thankful the Power Play wasn’t added to my first ticket and that I went back in for another one, otherwise I wouldn’t be here claiming $100,000," the 68-year-old woman said.

Asked about her plans for her newfound fortune, the woman admitted that she will use some of the winnings for home improvements and invest.

The Saint Helen woman said that she had just retired last week, which is why this lottery prize comes at the perfect time.

Image credit: Pixabay.com