A lucky Illinois woman is toasting to her new fortune after snagging a $1 million scratch-off lottery prize in Aurora, Illinois Lottery officials confirmed Monday. The much-needed windfall came to a retired woman—who wished to maintain her anonymity—affirming that the ticket was bought at the Thorntons at 2800 Ogden Ave, and part of Illinois Lottery's first $50 scratch-off game, called $10 Million, which debuted in December 2023, as the Illinois Lottery reported.
"I’m in my sixties," the winner revealed, according to WGN-TV, expressing how her life's latest chapter will be cushioned financially courtesy of this surprising jackpot: "This win came at a great time, I just retired last year – and this will help my retirement be that much more comfortable," and Thorntons will not be left behind as they're set to cash in a nifty $10,000 for selling the million-dollar piece of paper.
The stroke of luck, seemingly fated, came to the woman who seldom deviated from her regular $5-$10 scratch-off purchases, but a smaller win of $100 on a $10 scratch-off ticket emboldened her to test her luck on the pricier $50 scratch-off ticket that punched her ticket to millionaire status, prompting a double-take at the confirming scan, "I couldn’t believe I won $1 million—I had to scan the ticket twice to make sure," she recounted in a statement obtained by the Illinois Lottery.
This particular game boasts not only three $10 million top prizes but an additional 15 $1 million jackpots out of which the Aurora woman's windfall marks the fifth, offering punters the best odds to win $500 on any current Illinois scratch-off, while so far, more than 19.5 million Illinois Instant Tickets have been sold this year netting players overall prizes surpassing $486 million, for those contemplating the thrill of a gamble, scratch-off tickets remain available across the state in nearly 7,000 retail locations, with the Illinois Lottery showcasing a diverse portfolio of instant games varying in cost from $1 to $50.
The Illinois Lottery—a longstanding institution since 1974—boosts the State’s Common School Fund, having injected over $24 billion into K-12 public education since 1985 alone, a spirit of support that stretches beyond the hallowed halls of schools to encompass various specialty causes under the Illinois Lottery Law; for more information, visit the official website and delve into the games and their odds, perhaps the next winner's story could be yours.
