Lucky Illinois Lottery winner to spend $1 million prize on family and travel

CHICAGO — While the weekend usually means a break from work, one lucky Illinois Lottery player will have his hands full planning a European vacation after snagging a $1 million prize on a $10 scratch-off ticket he picked up on the city’s Northwest Side.

According to the Illinois Lottery, the lucky player picked up the life-changing prize while playing Jumbo Bucks, a $10 scratch-off lottery ticket.

“I didn’t even realize it was a winning ticket”

The big winner purchased the million-dollar ticket at P&S Liquor, located in the 7300 block of Irving Park Road on the Northwest Side and could barely believe his eyes when he finally found out about the massive prize.

“It’s all so unbelievable!” the anonymous winner said. “I didn’t even realize it was a winning ticket until I scanned it at the store, just to double-check. When the prize amount popped up on the screen, I turned as white as a ghost! I tucked the ticket safely inside my coat and immediately sprinted home.”

The lucky player said he wasn’t the only one in disbelief when he finally made it home and told his wife the big news; she was also shocked.

“I told my wife, ’We just won $1 million!’” the big winner said. “Even she couldn’t believe it. She stared at me wide-eyed and just kept saying, ‘What? Are you sure?'”

“You better believe we’re going overseas”

For the lucky couple, winning was the easy part; now the tough decision of how they plan to spend their riches is ahead, and they already have an idea.

“We’ve always put family first, and that won’t change. We plan to start college funds for all four of our grandkids,” the scratch-off winner said.

Both the newly minted millionaire and his wife are retired and say that while family definitely comes first, a European vacation is also on the books.

“I’ve never been to Europe, but our families are Irish and Italian,” said Papa. “You better believe we’re going overseas for a nice trip!”

Officials shared details about the big win in a news release on Friday, though it is unclear exactly when the ticket was sold.

In addition to the big winner, the gas station will also receive a $10,000 bonus for selling the ticket, equal to 1% of the prize amount.

Jumbo Bucks is a $10 scratch-off game and players have a 1 in 3.61 chance at claiming a prize, though jackpot odds are much higher at 1 in 1,192,900.

Officials said so far this year, 52 scratch-off tickets worth $1 million or more have already been claimed.

Scratch-off ticket winners have one year from the date of winning to claim their prizes. The Illinois Lottery offers more than 25 Fast Play games online and in-store.

Visit the Illinois Lottery website for more information on the games or to learn more about big wins.