Illinois Lottery Double Winner
What are the odds? A Loves Park, Illinois man hit a $1 million Powerball prize in the same week he claimed a $10,000 instant win from the "$5 Million Jackpot" game.
Lady Luck was certainly smiling on the anonymous player this summer. The amazing winning streak started on July 28, when he visited an Illinois Lottery claim center to receive a $10,000 instant ticket prize. “I was excited because it was the largest win I ever had,” he told Lottery officials.
On his way home from the claim center, he stopped for gas at the Loves Park Mobil on 6224 N. Second St. On the spur of the moment, he also picked up some tickets for the August 1 Powerball drawing.
“I bought my tickets and put them straight into my pocket until Tuesday after the draw; that’s the day I usually like to check my tickets,” he explained.
On August 4, he checked his numbers and realized he'd matched all five main Powerball numbers, scoring the game's $1 million second prize.
“I walked into my girlfriend’s house and yelled ‘Yahoo!’ She couldn’t believe it either and started crying,” he recalled.
The lucky winner has been a loyal Illinois Lottery player since the beginning and now plans to share his windfall with those less fortunate. “I have a list of all of my favorite charities that I want to donate money to, such as Smile Train and Operation Smile. It’s important to give back,” he said.
Will he keep buying Lottery tickets? “I will certainly keep playing. It’s one of my favorite things to do,” he confirmed.
About the Illinois Lottery
Since its introduction in 1974, the Illinois Lottery has raised more than $21 billion for K-12 public schools in the state, and contributed hundreds of millions to deserving causes such as Illinois Veterans programs, homelessness prevention, police memorials, Special Olympics, and support for illnesses including breast cancer, HIV/AIDS and MS.
Jackpots Hit $213 Million
What would you do if you won a million dollars? How about $213 million? That's the incredible amount the Powerball and Mega Millions jackpots have climbed to this week.
The excitement starts with the $119 million Mega Millions draw tonight, Tuesday, September 15. Next, Powerball's $94 million jackpot could go off when the draw is held on Wednesday, September 16.
How about some inspiration for your numbers? You'll find that on the Mega Millions Smartpicks and Powerball Smartpicks pages, which analyze the hot, cold and overdue numbers from the past 20 draws.