In the suburb of Berwyn, on Chicago's outskirts, a convenience store within a Clark gas station has sold a Lucky Day Lotto ticket that struck gold—or rather, $650,000. The Illinois Lottery announced this jackpot-winning ticket was purchased over the weekend at the Berwyn Minimart, at 1546 Lombard Avenue. The store's owner, Mayurkumar Patel, learned of the win through a customer. "I didn’t believe them until I went on the Illinois Lottery website and checked for myself. As soon as I saw my store listed as where the winning ticket was sold, my eyes went huge, my jaw dropped, and I burst out in laughter," Patel told NBC Chicago.
The winning numbers for the October 5 evening drawing were 4, 19, 29, 30, and 34. Patel remarked on the suspense of waiting to discover the identity of the fortune-blessed individual, aware that their regular customer base could include the lucky winner. "Every time I see a customer come through the door now, I think, 'They might be the lucky one who won,'" Patel said to Fox 32 Chicago. The mystery winner has up to a year to claim their reward and the option to remain anonymous due to the substantial prize amount.
Patel's establishment will also be a bit richer, set to receive a 1% commission for selling the lucky ticket, an addition of $6,500 to its coffers. Patel plans to share the windfall with his staff, three dedicated employees who have been with him since the store's opening. "I plan to treat them and celebrate with them. After all, they are the ones who sell our lottery tickets," he shared.
So far this year, the Lucky Day Lotto has crowned many winners with over 10.2 million winning tickets circulating state-wide. The game itself is unique to Illinois, with drawings twice a day offering players ample opportunities to test their luck.
