AURORA, Ill. – An Illinois Lottery player who bought a ticket in Chicago’s west suburbs is $1 million richer after Wednesday night’s Powerball drawing, while the jackpot keeps climbing toward new record territory.
What we know:
The winning $1 million ticket was sold at Joe’s Tobacco & Vape, located at 1945 W. Galena Blvd. in Aurora. The ticket matched five numbers but not the Powerball.
The drawing’s jackpot stood at $1.4 billion, but no one hit all six numbers, pushing Saturday’s jackpot to an estimated $1.7 billion. If won, it would be the third-largest Powerball prize and the third-largest lottery jackpot in U.S. history, according to the Illinois Lottery.
Other Illinois players also had big wins Wednesday:
- Two players won $100,000 each in University Park and Westchester.
- Six players won $50,000 each across Chicago, Aurora, Rock Falls, Princeton, Rock Island, and online via iLottery.
By the numbers:
Since the Powerball roll began June 2, Illinois players have purchased more than 1.3 million winning tickets totaling nearly $15.7 million in prizes.
The run has also generated nearly $73.8 million in ticket sales, allowing the Illinois Lottery to return about $29.5 million to the state’s Common School Fund, which supports K-12 education.
Retailers also benefit: they receive commissions on every ticket sold and earn a 1% selling bonus on winning tickets.
What’s next:
The next Powerball drawing will be held Saturday night.
Tickets cost $2 and can be purchased in-store, online or via the Illinois Lottery app. Players can add the Power Play for $1 to multiply non-jackpot prizes.
The Source: The information in this article came from the Illinois Lottery.