An Illinois man's life changed after he went on his work break and came back a millionaire. The lottery player visited a gas station in Lombard, DuPage County earlier this month, as usual, and bought two tickets, one of which turned out to be a winner.
"I scratched off the ticket during a break at work and boom – I won," the unnamed winner, referred to only as "Lucky," said. "I just celebrated my birthday a few weeks ago, so this win feels like the perfect gift. It’s especially exciting since I bought the ticket at a store I visit regularly."
Lucky plans to use the money to purchase a new home, refresh his wardrobe, and invest in his family’s future. He claimed his big win from a $50 ticket on April 10, an Illinois spokesperson told USA Today.
Initially, Lucky bought one ticket, which was not a winner, and decided to buy another from the same Mobil gas station. That second ticket led him to win his $1 million prize.
"I come to this store often, and I’m close friends with the staff here," he said. "They were thrilled when I shared the good news with them. When I bought the ticket, I told them I was coming back with a lot of zeros. I can’t believe it actually happened."
With his win, the Mobil gas station will receive a retailer bonus of 1 percent of the total prize amount, meaning the station will receive $10,000.
However, this is not Lucky’s first big win when playing the lottery. He said in the press release that he has won around 20 times, taking home prizes valued between $1,000 and $5,000.
Gambling winnings are classified as taxable income under federal income tax laws. Winnings made in Illinois are subject to a 4.95 percent income tax rate, according to the Illinois Department of Revenue.
The Illinois Lottery, founded in 1974, offers a range of Instant Ticket games priced from $1 to $50. Players who win more than $250,000 may choose to keep their name and municipality of residence confidential, according to the Illinois Lottery website.
According to the lottery’s website, the organization has contributed over $26 billion to the State’s Common School Fund.
