Big bucks in the Land of Lincoln! An unidentified Illinois lottery player struck gold with a $1 million win from a scratch-off ticket, bringing some early holiday cheer. The golden ticket, a $20 "Merry Multiplier" scratch-off, was purchased at Happy's Super Service Convenient Store in Spring Valley, a quaint town roughly two hours away from the Windy City, NBC Chicago reports.
Spring Valley, now buzzing with excitement, had its silence shattered when the lucky regular scratched their way to wealth right at the counter. The store owners, Lisa and Fred West, witnessed the whole unlikely scene unfold. "Next thing we know, the customer is jumping up and down and screaming, so we knew it had to be a big winning ticket—it was a pretty exciting moment," Lisa described in a statement highlighted by FOX 32 Chicago, and it wasn’t just the customer who got a hefty slice of the pie; the Wests are pocketing $10,000 for selling the million-dollar piece of paper.
Time to throw a party for the Wests, who've spent 16 years behind the counter, never seeing a win this huge at their modest establishment. "You never think the big wins will happen to someone you know—and at such a joyful time of year. We can’t wait to celebrate!" Lisa told FOX 32 Chicago. With over 61 million winning Instant Tickets snapped up this year, the Illinois Lottery is riding a high wave of success.
Meanwhile, the Illinois Lottery isn't resting on its laurels; they've rolled out the "$10 million" instant ticket, a pricier gamble at $50 but boasting a jackpot for which the name leaves little to the imagination, and according to the creative minds at the lottery office, this new ticket comes with better odds and bigger payouts. Harold Mays, the Director of the Illinois Lottery, conveyed with a hint of anticipation, “Our new ticket gives players a chance to win a top prize of $10 million, and we are excited to see how our players will respond,” he said in the lottery's press release, daring players to dream a little bigger this holiday season, as reported by NBC Chicago.
