A simple birthday gift turned into an unexpected $1 million jackpot for a Braidwood resident after a lottery ticket from his birthday celebration matched all six numbers in an Illinois Lotto Million 2 drawing.
The winning ticket was purchased at Gas N Wash, located at 1951 E. Laraway Road in New Lenox, and later given to the winner as a birthday present. The ticket matched 11-17-22-26-36-45 in the August 8 Lotto Million 2 drawing, securing the $1 million jackpot. It also earned an extra $2 for matching two numbers on another play.
The winner, who has chosen to remain anonymous, said his wife organized a party for his birthday. During the celebration, a friend handed him an envelope filled with scratch-off tickets.
“I never would've imagined actually winning.”
At first, however, he had no idea the ticket was worth anywhere near $1 million.
A $1,000 surprise becomes a million-dollar shock
The winner initially believed he had won just $1,000. He even asked a friend to check the ticket, but that friend apparently missed the jackpot, too.
Thinking he had already scored a nice birthday surprise, the winner and his wife headed to an Illinois Lottery prize center.
That is where everything changed.
After telling lottery staff that he had won $1,000, one employee gave him some stunning news: the ticket was actually worth $1 million.
The winner said he was completely stunned, while his wife became emotional. When he shared the news with his family, his daughter and son-in-law were understandably skeptical.
He joked that he was as certain about the win as he was about being another year older.
Big plans for the jackpot
Now that the prize is real, the winner and his wife are planning to enjoy the money with their family.
Their plans include:
- A winter trip to Florida to visit relatives
- A cruise celebrating their 40th wedding anniversary
- Birthday celebrations for their children
- A new car
- A golf cart
The couple is especially looking forward to the cruise and family celebrations. As the winner put it, “Dad's paying.”
Winning ticket seller gets a bonus
The luck didn't stop with the winner. Gas N Wash, the New Lenox retailer that sold the ticket, will receive a $10,000 bonus from the Illinois Lottery. The bonus equals 1% of the $1 million prize.
The Illinois Lottery says players have already claimed more than 4.1 million winning Lotto tickets, with total prizes topping $47 million.
Lotto is an Illinois-only game with drawings held three times a week. Tickets are available at participating retailers, online and through the Illinois Lottery app.
Players must be at least 18 years old, and the Illinois Lottery encourages everyone to play responsibly.
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