Someone who stopped for gas in the southwest suburb of Justice just turned a routine errand into a $550,000 payday, and so far, nobody is stepping forward to claim bragging rights.
A Lucky Day Lotto ticket bought at a Justice gas station matched all five numbers in Wednesday evening's drawing, landing the entire jackpot for one very fortunate player. The winner now has up to one year to step up and claim the prize, and in the meantime the neighborhood is busy guessing who might be holding the golden slip.
State results show a single 5/5 winner captured the $550,000 jackpot in the Jan. 28 evening Lucky Day Lotto drawing, and the winning numbers were 2, 10, 17, 29 and 38, according to the Illinois Lottery.
Local coverage by FOX 32 Chicago reported the ticket was sold at a gas station on S. Robert Road in Justice and noted the retailer will receive roughly $5,500 for selling the jackpot-winning ticket. The station also passed along standard lottery advice for fresh winners, including signing the back of the ticket and keeping it secure until a claim is filed.
How Lucky Day Lotto Works And How To Claim
Lucky Day Lotto holds two daily drawings, at 12:40 p.m. and 9:22 p.m., with starting jackpots of $100,000. Tickets can be purchased in stores, online or via the Illinois Lottery app. Winners have one year from the draw date to claim prizes, according to game details on the Illinois Lottery.
Claim rules vary by prize amount, so winners of larger sums generally contact the lottery to start the process. The lottery urges winners to sign the back of the ticket and store it safely until they make their claim, advice echoed in the FOX 32 Chicago report.
Small Bonus, Big Attention For The Store
Retailers receive a one percent selling bonus for jackpot tickets, a modest but welcome perk for neighborhood convenience stores and gas stations that can also bring a rush of new customers and curious locals.
In a previous Chicago-area win, a Des Plaines BP station publicly celebrated selling a $1.5 million Lucky Day Lotto ticket and discussed plans for sharing the seller bonus with employees. For the latest Justice winner, the next moves are far simpler: keep the ticket safe, verify the win through official channels and follow the lottery's claim instructions before the one-year clock runs out.
