An Illinois Lottery player is now $1 million richer after winning a jackpot from a ticket they purchased online.
Lottery officials confirmed the winning ticket was bought through the Illinois Lottery app for the April 3 drawing of the state’s Lotto game. The Lotto game is drawn three times a week, and each drawing includes two additional games: Lotto Million 1 and Lotto Million 2, giving players three chances to win jackpot-level prizes.
The lucky player matched all six numbers in the Lotto Million 1 game. The winner redeemed the ticket at the Lottery’s Rockford prize center earlier this week.
The winner, who wished to remain anonymous, shared their surprise in a statement: “After Thursday’s drawing, I got an email saying I’d won, and I figured I’d just won back the $2 I spent on the ticket,” they said. “I did win back my two dollars… but imagine my surprise when I realized I’d also won $1 million, too!”
The player revealed they plan to use the prize money to treat their family to a vacation, including taking their niece to Egypt.
Each line of numbers in the Lotto game costs $2, with players selecting six numbers between 1 and 50. For an additional $1, players can add an “Extra Shot” to their tickets, which boosts non-jackpot prizes.
