JUSTICE, Ill. – An Illinois Lottery player who hadn’t bought a ticket in a while is now $1 million richer after hitting it big in Chicago’s southwest suburbs.
What we know:
The winner, who chose to stay anonymous under the nickname Rainy Day Fund, bought the ticket at the Citgo gas station at 8755 W. 79th Street in Justice.
The ticket matched all six Lotto Million 1 numbers in the July 10 drawing, earning them a $1 million prize.
“I play the lottery once in a while when I have extra cash,” the winner said. “I hadn’t played in a while, but the jackpot was nearly $12 million, so after filling up my gas tank, I decided to buy $10 worth of Lotto tickets with the Extra Shot add-on.”
Rainy Day Fund winner | Illinois Lottery
The winner recalled the moment they learned they hit it big.
“I found out the next day at work that someone in Justice had won. That’s where I bought my ticket, so I scanned mine with the app. At first, I thought I had won $1,000. Then I scanned it again, and a few more zeroes popped up. I had to do a double take and scanned it about 20 more times before it finally sank in. I was freaking out.”
What’s next:
The winner says they’ll put the money toward savings and investments, but they also plan to celebrate.
“My friends are in the financial industry, so I’m hoping they’ll help me invest wisely. But one thing’s for sure—I’ll be using some of it for my wedding and honeymoon next year.”
What you can do:
Lotto is an Illinois-only game, drawn three times a week on Monday, Thursday and Saturday. Tickets are available in stores, online, and on the Illinois Lottery app.
The Source: The information in this article came from the Illinois Lottery.