CHICAGO — A set of numbers passed down from mother to daughter — and one lucky online Lotto® ticket — turned a Southern Illinois Lottery player into a millionaire overnight.
The winner, who has chosen to remain anonymous, played a combination of family birthdays and anniversaries — a tradition inherited from her mother. She revealed that her mother had played those same Lotto numbers years ago but missed out on a $6.4 million jackpot after forgetting to submit the playslip.
“The numbers were drawn exactly as she had them—she just never played the ticket,” said the winner. “So my mother told me, ‘Play these numbers. One day, they’ll hit.’”
That day finally arrived. The winning Lotto ticket matched all six numbers — 2-14-16-31-40-46 — in the March 21 Lotto Million 2 drawing to secure the $1,000,000 jackpot. An additional $5 win on a separate line brought the total prize to $1,000,005.
After confirming the win via email, she immediately shared the news with family.
“My husband, daughter, and I were at home in disbelief,” the winner said. “I asked myself, ‘Is this really true?’”
Looking ahead, the newly-minted millionaire plans to take an all-inclusive family trip to the Bahamas and purchase new cars. She also plans to invest part of the prize in her daughter’s education.
“We’re just normal, everyday people,” she said. “This win is truly a blessing from my mother.”
Already this year, nearly 1.7 million winning Lotto tickets have been sold, with players statewide claiming more than $25 million in prizes.
Lotto is an Illinois-only game that is played three times a week on Monday, Thursday and Saturday. Tickets for the game can be purchased in-store, online, or on the Illinois Lottery app. For more information or to buy tickets online, please visit IllinoisLottery.com.
Lotto b-roll, available for use by the media, download here.
Playing the lottery should be a fun form of entertainment. Please remember to set a limit and stick to it. Be Smart, Play Smart®. Must be 18 or older to play. Game odds available at IllinoisLottery.com.
About the Illinois Lottery
The Illinois Lottery, founded in 1974, has contributed over $26 billion to the State’s Common School Fund in support of K-12 public education in Illinois since 1985. The Common School Fund is the Illinois Lottery’s primary beneficiary, receiving nearly 99% of Illinois Lottery proceeds. The Illinois Lottery also supports various specialty causes as described in the Illinois Lottery Law (20 ILCS 1605/21.4). For more information about the Illinois Lottery and the causes we support, please visit IllinoisLottery.com.
