A quick stop at Kelley’s Market in Island Lake turned into a seven-figure shock for a local man who walked out $1 million richer after scratching a $50 Millionaire Club ticket.
Jerry, of Island Lake, bought the ticket on April Fools’ Day and briefly wondered if the universe was messing with him when the in-store machine confirmed he had actually hit the $1 million top prize. He told lottery officials he had first tried a different $50 ticket from the same batch that came up empty. He then went back for another shot, scratched and scanned the second ticket in the store, and that one turned out to be the big winner.
The lucky ticket was purchased at Kelley’s Market at 3401 S. River Road in Island Lake. For selling the winning Millionaire Club ticket, the retailer will get a $10,000 bonus, according to FOX 32 Chicago.
How the prize and retailer bonus work
The Millionaire Club is a $50 instant ticket that offers multiple $1 million top prizes. When someone hits one of those top prizes, the Illinois Lottery pays a selling bonus to the retailer that sold the winning ticket. That bonus is equal to one percent of the prize, which means a $10,000 payout on a $1 million win, and the Lottery highlights recent instant-ticket wins and claim details on its public winners page.
According to the Illinois Lottery, several high-tier instant prizes have been claimed across Illinois this spring, including multiple six-figure and top-prize scratch-off wins.
Winner's plans and reaction
Jerry said he “was floored - I couldn’t believe it” when the win sank in, adding that he even tapped the machine after the app confirmed the result, just to be sure it was real. His plans for the windfall are decidedly low-key: he told lottery officials he wants to spend more time fishing and paddle-kayaking in Wisconsin and make a trip to Arizona to visit his 90-year-old mother, per FOX 32 Chicago.
For Island Lake shoppers, Jerry’s big score is a reminder that a routine stop can occasionally turn into a life-changing moment. It is also a nice financial boost for the neighborhood convenience store that sold the ticket. And as recent entries on the Illinois Lottery’s winners page show, instant games continue to produce sizeable, if infrequent, payouts around the state, according to the Illinois Lottery.
