Montcalm County Player Finds Extra Letter, Wins $1 Million on King Cashword

A 75-year-old player from Montcalm County won a $1 million prize on the Michigan Lottery's King Cashword instant game after initially believing the ticket was worth $5,000. The player discovered an additional letter that changed the value of the ticket to the game's top prize.

The winning ticket was purchased at Maple Valley Market, 106 West 2nd Street, in Trufant, Michigan. Trufant is approximately 35 miles northeast of Grand Rapids, placing the ticket's purchase location within the Montcalm County area identified by the Michigan Lottery.

The player's first reading of the ticket did not reveal the million-dollar result. Instead, the player initially thought the ticket carried a $5,000 prize. Finding one more letter led to the discovery that the ticket was worth $1 million.

The change in the apparent prize amount prompted the player to seek an official check of the ticket. The player traveled more than an hour to the Michigan Lottery office in Grand Rapids to have the ticket verified.

The prize was claimed at Michigan Lottery headquarters. The player chose to remain anonymous, so no individual name was released with the win.

Rather than receive annuity payments for the full $1 million prize amount, the winner selected a one-time lump-sum payment of approximately $693,000. The payment choice was made when the prize was claimed at Michigan Lottery headquarters.

The winner said the money would be used to donate, help others and establish a trust fund for the winner's children. Those plans give the prize a purpose beyond the ticket's initial surprise, while the winner's identity remains undisclosed.

King Cashword launched in June 2025. Each ticket costs $20, and the game offers prizes ranging from $20 to $1 million.

The Montcalm County prize is within the range advertised for the game, but it reached the highest stated prize level. At the time of the Michigan Lottery announcement, players had won more than $57 million playing King Cashword.

The game also had more than $14 million in prizes remaining at that time. The remaining prizes included eight worth $5,000 and 146 worth $1,000.

Those remaining prize figures describe the game's prize inventory at the time of the announcement and are separate from the $1 million prize already claimed by the Montcalm County player. Readers seeking current Michigan lottery information can use the latest Michigan lottery results page.

King Cashword was part of broader instant-game activity for the Michigan Lottery in 2025. Michigan Lottery players won more than $1.7 billion playing instant games during that year.

The win began with a $20 ticket bought in Trufant and an initial belief that the prize was $5,000. It ended with the ticket being verified in Grand Rapids, the $1 million prize being claimed at Michigan Lottery headquarters and the winner choosing approximately $693,000 in a single payment.