Lady Luck is planting her flag in Harwood Heights, as yet another resident hit the jackpot. A lottery player in the Chicago suburb struck it rich this St. Patrick's Day weekend, snagging a $2 million prize from an "Illinois Jackpot" scratch-off ticket, CBS Chicago reported. The winning ticket came from a Shell gas station on North Nagle Avenue, which appears to be on a winning streak itself, having previously sold a $600,000 ticket last November.
In a blend of fate and fortune, another Chicagoan had previously scratched their way to riches, winning $1 million from a 50X Payout ticket, according to Illinois Lottery. This gentleman, known as "Mr. M," an industrial mechanic by trade, decided retirement could come sooner thanks to his windfall – allowing him the chance to be closer to family and assume the role of a personal delivery man for his daughter, sparing her from pesky delivery fees.
The gas station's owner must feel like some sort of talisman, with their venue becoming a local beacon for high-dollar scratch-off prizes. The latest winner, who chose to remain in the shadows of anonymity, even referred to the owner as his "lucky charm," a statement steeped in the timely themes of the luck-infused Irish celebration.
Mr. M, on his part, had a hunch that paid off when he opted for the blue scratch-off. "I buy different tickets from time to time, but on this day, I saw the blue 50X Payout ticket and had a good gut feeling about it," he explained, sharing a glimpse of his intuition. "I chose to take a chance and buy it, and boy, am I glad I did," Mr. M told Illinois Lottery. Harlem Food & Liquors, the store that sold Mr. M his ticket, is not new to this game either.
As the city buzzed with the luck of the Irish, the Illinois Lottery reminds winners they have one year from the winning draw to claim their prize. For retailers like the aforementioned Shell gas station and Harlem Food & Liquors, these wins are more than just happy accidents.
