“I just stopped by the store for a drink and thought, ‘Why not?’ ” the man asked himself when he bought the winning $1.3 million ticket
:max_bytes(150000):strip_icc():format(jpeg)/illinois-lottery-winner-062926-682e0582a6404b869b860fd19f85b2d2.jpg "A Chicagoland resident poses for a celebratory photo after claiming a $1.3 million Lucky Day Lotto jackpot.")
Credit: Illinois Lottery
NEED TO KNOW
- A Chicagoland resident purchased a Lucky Day Lotto ticket on a whim at an Illinois gas station
- The ticket matched all five winning numbers in the June 11 evening drawing for a jackpot of $1.3 million
- He said he played the same game 15 years ago that earned him a prize of $45,000
An Illinois man had a case of déjà vu after he purchased a lottery ticket at a gas station that turned out to be a $1.3 million winner.
“I just stopped by the store for a drink and thought, ‘Why not?' ” the winner from Chicagoland, who chose to remain anonymous, told Illinois Lottery officials, according to a news release. “I played a Quick Pick, and it turned out to be a lucky day.”
The man bought the winning Lucky Day Lotto ticket at the Oswego BP in Oswego. For the June 11 evening drawing, the ticket matched all five numbers — 1, 13, 19, 27 and 35 — netting him the $1.3 million jackpot.
The married winner said that he didn't believe what happened at first until he scanned the ticket.
He also revealed that he experienced something similar when he previously played the lottery.
"It's funny—I actually won a $45,000 prize playing this same game 15 years ago when it was called Little Lotto," he told lottery officials.
The winner said that he will use his prize money for a new home and to provide for his and his wife's retirement.
“We are just so grateful for this blessing,” the man said in the news release. “I'm sure our kids will be, too.”
Meanwhile, the Oswego BP gas station will receive a $13,000 bonus for selling the man the winning ticket.
Lucky Day Lotto is drawn twice daily, with the jackpots starting at $100,000, Illinois Lottery officials said.
In March, an Illinois mom won $800,000 by playing Lucky Day Lotto. She did so by using her children's birthdays, per an Illinois Lottery press release.
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“My usual numbers are always a combination of my birthday and my kids' birthdays,” the woman, who stayed anonymous under the moniker of Jenny, said. “I was in complete shock when I saw I had won.”
If you or someone you know is struggling with a gambling problem, please contact the National Problem Gambling Helpline Network at 1-800-522-4700 or go to gamtalk.org.