Illinois man bought a lottery ticket during his work break. He came back with a $1 million prize
Illinois man bought a lottery ticket during his work break. He came back with a $1 million prize
Owen ScottThu, April 30, 2026 at 8:35 AM UTC
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An Illinois man’s life changed after he went on his work break - and came back a millionaire.
The lottery player went into a gas station in Lombard, DuPage County earlier this month as usual and bought two tickets, one of which turned out to be a winner.
“I scratched off the ticket during a break at work and boom – I won,” the unnamed winner, who has been referred to only as “Lucky,” said.
“I just celebrated my birthday a few weeks ago, so this win feels like the perfect gift,. It’s especially exciting since I bought the ticket at a store I visit regularly.”
Lucky said that he plans to use the money to buy a new home, refresh his wardrobe and invest in his family’s future. He claimed his big win from a $50 ticket on April 10, an Illinois spokesperson told USA Today.
An Illinois man became a millionaire after purchasing a lottery ticket over his work break (AFP/Getty)
Initially, Lucky bought one ticket, which was not a winner, and decided to buy another from the same Mobil gas station. That second ticket led him to win his $1 million prize.
“I come to this store often, and I’m close friends with the staff here,” he said. “They were thrilled when I shared the good news with them.
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“When I bought the ticket, I told them I was coming back with a lot of zeros,” Lucky continued. “I can’t believe it actually happened.”
With his win, the Mobil gas station will receive a retailer bonus of 1 percent of the total prize amount. That means the station will be given $10,000.
However, this is not Lucky’s first big win when playing the lottery. He said in the press release that he has won around 20 times, taking home prizes valued between $1,000 and $5,000.
The winner, referred to as Lucky, bought the $1 million ticket at a gas station in DuPage County (Illinois Lottery)
Gambling winnings are classified as taxable income under federal income tax laws. That means winnings made in Illinois are subject to a 4.95 percent income tax rate, according to the Illinois Department of Revenue.
The Illinois Lottery, which was founded in 1974, offers a range of Instant Ticket games. Each game is priced from $1 to $50.
Players who win more than $250,000 may choose to keep their name and municipality of residence confidential, according to the Illinois Lottery website.
According to the lottery’s website, the organization has contributed over $26 billion to the State’s Common School Fund.
Source: “AOL Breaking”
