Indiana woman wins $500K on Detroit Lions lottery ticket she got from white elephant gift exchange at family Christmas party

(WWJ) — An Indiana woman is half-a-million dollars richer, thanks to a Detroit Lions lottery ticket she got in a white elephant gift exchange. Emily Hicox found out she won $500,000 on Christmas — also her birthday — after previously getting the Michigan Lottery ticket at her family’s Christmas party. The 25-year-old said she almost didn’t end up with it. “My dad actually won the ticket in the gift exchange, and I won the gift he brought, a flashlight. He wanted his gift back, so we made an agreement after the game to trade gifts,” she said. She said she scratched it off on Christmas and initially thought she had won $50,000. “I downloaded the Michigan Lottery app and created an account to check the ticket on the app scanner,” she said. “I was expecting to see $50,000, so when I saw the extra zero, I was speechless! I couldn’t comprehend that I’d just won $500,000!” Hicox’s cousin bought the ticket at a Meijer store in the Grand Rapids suburb of Rockford. Hicox recently visited Michigan Lottery headquarters to claim her prize. She says she plans to buy a new car, invest and share with her parents and her cousin who bought the ticket. “We love hearing all of the fun and exciting ways our players find out they’ve won big prizes, and a win like this is what every Lottery player dreams of!” said Lottery Commissioner Suzanna Shkreli. “Winning a prize of $500,000 is a thrill in itself, combined with the excitement of winning on Christmas, and your birthday, from a ticket you received as a gift makes it even more incredible.” Lottery officials say players have won more than $21 million playing the Detroit Lions instant game since it launched last September. Each $5 ticket offered players a chance to win prizes ranging from $5 up to $500,000. More on today's top stories: