Michigan Lottery: Instant Win Games

The Michigan Lottery makes a variety of games available online, including over 100 Michigan instant win games. These can be played via the MI Lottery website or app, which is available via Android and iOS.

Prizes of $600 or below won online are automatically added to your account. If you win more than that on a single game, it’s required to submit an online claim. 

And if you lose, at least you know the majority of the loss is going to support K-12 public education in Michigan.

The Michigan Online Lottery

The Michigan Online Lottery launched in 2014 and has evolved into the most robust online lottery in the US. While other states off virtual lottery games, no state has such an enormous selection of options both online and in-stores.

Visit: Michigan Lottery | Use code BONUS50 for 50% off your deposit up to $100 + 50 free Instant Win Keno games

What Are Instant Win And Scratch-Off Lottery Games

In 1973, the American company Scientific Games invented the instant lottery game. But despite the Michigan Lottery launching one year prior, the State of Massachusetts was the first to adopt the instant game in 1974, followed shortly by New Jersey and New York. 

However, by 1975, the Michigan Lottery was offering scratch-offs, which means the pastime is nearing its 50-year anniversary.

Today, the Michigan Lottery app is home to over a hundred different instant win games, with an additional 90 or so available exclusively in-stores. So, while the Michigan Lottery wasn’t the first to offer instant win and scratch-off lottery games, they’ve since become among the best states to play both.

Michigan Lottery Instant Games 2022

The Michigan Lottery offers a huge range of online instant games. The top prizes range from $600 to $500,000, and the price of a ticket ranges from $0.05 to $30.

However, the Michigan Lottery adds new games all the time, particularly around specific holiday seasons, so the exact selection and payout potential may be different now than when this guide was written.

Generally, an instant game involves matching your symbols with winning symbols to trigger a payout. You can click or tap (depending on whether you’re playing via computer or mobile) to reveal each hidden symbol, or you can reveal all simultaneously. 

Aside from physical cards versus digital games, in-store scratch-offs cost a minimum of $1.00. However, unlike in many other states, many retailers accept credit card payments for retail scratch-offs, whereas the requirement to pay in cash can be an additional hurdle.

Draw Keno Versus Instant Keno

Every few minutes of the day, every day of the year, the Michigan Lottery hosts Keno and Club Keno drawings. These tickets are exclusively offered in stores, and the top Club Keno prize is $20 million.

Instant Keno is where numbers are randomly chosen each time you play a round and isn’t tied to a regular schedule. This gives you the option to play instant Keno online or draw Keno in-stores.

Learn more about Michigan Keno.

Most Popular Michigan Online Lottery Instant Games

We went through pages of recent Big Winners to determine the most popular online games, and here are the top three:

  • Michigan Cash Drop
  • Queen of Diamonds
  • VIP Games (Ultra, Platinum, Gold, Black)

Here is a quick look at each one:

Michigan Cash Drop

  • Price Range: $0.50 – $20
  • Overall Odds: 1 in 4.82
  • Top Prize: $100,000
  • Recent Win: $100,000 won on February 17, 2024

In Michigan Cash Drop, boxes will literally fall from the top of the screen. If three or more boxes match, you unlock a prize. There’s also a bonus feature where a safe and a key box trigger an extra prize.

Queen Of Diamonds

  • Price Range: $0.05 – $2.00
  • Overall Odds: 1 in 31.87
  • Top Prize: $60,000
  • Recent Win: $60,000 won three times, most recently on May 13, 2019

A queen symbol means you win the prize shown. But this game offers two guaranteed prize bonus games, which are unlocked with three golden cards or one Joker card.

VIP Games (Ultra, Platinum, Gold, Black)

  • Price Range: $0.05 – $2.00
  • Overall Odds: 1 in 32.56 to 57.28
  • Top Prize: $20,000 to $60,000
  • Recent Win: $51,612 won on VIP Platinum on September 21, 2020

The VIP instant win games at Michigan Lottery online are accessible to anyone (there is no VIP program through the MI Lotto). Choose between VIP Ultra, VIP Platinum, VIP Gold, or VIP Black, each with slightly different rules. But for all, you simply match your numbers to the winning numbers and hope to see some specialty symbols to trigger a bonus game for a guaranteed prize.

Recent Michigan Lottery Instant Winners

While drawing games (Lotto 47, Mega Millions. Powerball) offer the biggest possible lottery jackpots, you can still win life-changing money from an instant win ticket.

Physical tickets purchased at an authorized retailer offer higher ceilings for grand jackpots versus online instant win tickets. The highest jackpots for online instant win tickets cap at $500,000, while some physical scratch-off tickets give you a chance to win a $4,000,000 top prize.

One of Michigan’s most recent big winners won the $1 million grand prize from a 20X Cashword instant win ticket. The Ontonagon County resident originally thought her ticket was a $5,000 winner, but then scanned the ticket with the Michigan Lottery app.

Much to her surprise, her instant win ticket was good for $1 million. The lucky player opted for a $634,000 lump sum.

The Michigan Lottery app provides a valuable resource for players, even if you exclusively purchase physical lottery tickets.

Biggest Prizes For Online Instant Win Games

The Michigan Lottery’s series of instant Keno games offer the biggest possible payouts from the menu of online instant win games. If Keno isn’t what you’re looking for, however, plenty of other instant win games offer opportunities to win big prizes online.

Online instant win games with grand prizes of $200,000 or more include Diamond Payout, The Roaring Twenties, and Super Cash Buster.

The Michigan Lottery regularly adds new games, so check back with MichganSharp.com for updates on the latest additions to the game library.

How To Buy Instant Win Tickets On The Michigan Lottery App

The Michigan Lottery makes it easy to buy tickets through the app. To do so, follow these five quick and easy steps: 

  1. Find the app by using the link on the Michigan Lottery website, in Apple’s App Store, or in the Google Play Store for Android users. Or, use this link
  2. Register for a Michigan Lottery account, where you’ll provide basic information like your name, address, and contact information.
  3. Use the promo code BONUS50 for 50% off your first deposit up to $100 + 50 Free Instant Keno games
  4. Make a deposit using one of several banking method options.
  5. Purchase instant win tickets through the app or on the MI Lottery website.

Methods For Online Lottery Purchases In Michigan

The Michigan Lottery accepts purchases by requiring members to deposit into their account, and then use those funds to purchase tickets. To make a deposit, you can use one of the following methods:

  • Credit Card
  • Debit Card
  • PayPal
  • Neteller
  • Online Game Card (available at licensed Michigan Lottery retailers)
  • Online Bank Transfer/ACH

The most popular deposit option is a credit card. However, using a PayPal account may be the best method if you’re also playing at Michigan’s online casinos or sports betting apps, because PayPal is an accepted method there as well.

How To Redeem Michigan Instant Win Prizes

Prizes of $600 or less are credited automatically, while prizes between $601 and $99,999.99 require you to fill out an online claim form. If you win $100,000 or more, you’ll need to go to the Michigan Lottery headquarters in Lansing to accept your winnings in person.

To withdraw money from your online account, you can use PayPal, Neteller, online bank transfer, or check by mail.

Michigan Online Lottery Instant Win Tickets FAQs

What Are Instant Lotteries?

Instant lotteries are games where you don’t have to wait for a numbers draw. Instead, the results are displayed instantly – or as quickly as you can scratch off the symbols and the bar code to check if you’re a winner. Instant lottery games online can be redeemed in one click.

Are Online Lotto Games Legal In Michigan?

Yes, the Michigan Lottery is available online and is legal to play for anyone over the age of 18 who’s physically located within Michigan state lines. You must create an account and register to play the Michigan Lottery online. It is accessible via web browser, iOS app, and Android app.

How Old Do I Have To Be To Buy Michigan Instant Win Tickets Online?

18. You must be at least 18 years old to buy Michigan instant win tickets online. The same applies to lottery games sold at licensed retailers. You will need to verify your age when you create an online account or buy a ticket in-stores. However, the age for online casinos, sportsbooks, and poker sites is 21 years and up.

Can I Buy Scratch-offs Online In Michigan?

Yes, instant win games are available online through the Michigan Lottery App and website. Of course, these aren’t physical scratch off cards that are mailed to you. Instead, they’re digital scratch off cards that operate similarly. Instead of scratching with a coin, you tap or click (depending on the device).

Are All Michigan Scratch-off Games Available Online? 

No. Some of Michigan’s instant win and scratch off games are available online while others are available in-store. At the time of writing this, there were 110 online-only instant win games and 88 retail-only instant win games. That’s around 200 total options with about half available online and the other half at licensed retailers.

Are There Video Lottery Terminals In Michigan? 

No, Video Lottery Terminals are not available in Michigan (like they are in states such as Missouri). Video Lottery Terminals are slot machine-like games that players operate. In Michigan, player operated games are limited to online play, while retailers operate games like Fast Cash for the customer.

Does Michigan Lottery Offer A Subscription For Scratch Offs?

No, the Michigan Lottery does not offer a subscription for scratch-offs. However, you can buy several rounds of online instant games and have them auto-play for you.

Usually, lottery subscriptions have to do with games with schedule drawings to ensure you don’t miss a chance to win. Therefore, the Michigan Lottery offers subscriptions for Mega Millions, Powerball, Keno, Club Keno, and others but not scratch-offs.

Does Michigan Lottery Offer A VIP Program?

No, the Michigan Lottery does not offer a VIP program or any kind of loyalty program. However, the benefits of creating a Michigan Lottery account go beyond playing online games. Members have exclusive access to promotions, second-chance drawings, prize giveaways, and more. If you enjoy playing lottery games in Michigan, it’s worth registering online.

About the Author

Mike Epifani

Mike Epifani is a Contributor and Editor at MichiganSharp. As an online gambling expert, he specializes in bonus offers, how-to's, and reviews of betting sites to help you keep more of your money while having fun and staying safe.