IL Mega Millions Mystery Solved: $349M Winners Claim Their Prize

ILLINOIS — More than a month after a winning $349 million Mega Millions ticket was sold at an Illinois gas station, the winners have claimed their prize, the Illinois Lottery said.

"We took a chance and bought a single Quick Pick ticket," said the lucky winners, who are anonymous but have been nicknamed "Blessed" by the lottery. "We’re absolutely ecstatic and feel incredibly blessed. We plan to use this money to do good — this unbelievable prize will truly be the gift that keeps on giving."

The winning ticket for the March 25 drawing was purchased at Casey's General Store in Cortland, located in rural DeKalb County. For selling the winning ticket, the retailer received a bonus of $500,000.

"It’s the talk of the town, and the store is still buzzing with excitement," Kim Shaw, Casey’s district manager, said last month. "This is the biggest jackpot-winning ticket our store has ever sold. We're thrilled for the winner, and selfishly, we hope it's one of our regular customers—keeping the winnings in the community would make it even more special."

The ticket matched all Mega Millions numbers — 1, 5, 17, 39, 62 and 8 — in addition to a Megaplier to win the full amount.

The jackpot winner is the fourth Illinois player to win the Mega Millions jackpot in nearly four years, according to the Illinois Lottery:

• In June 2024, an iLottery player won $552 million — the largest prize ever won by an online lottery player in the U.S.
• In July 2022, a ticket bought at a gas station in Des Plaines won a $1.34 billion Mega Millions jackpot — which remains the largest lottery prize ever won in Illinois.
• In June 2021, a Mega Millions player won $56 million at a Citgo gas station in Crestwood.

Wednesday night's Mega Millions jackpot is an estimated $70 million, and each ticket costs $5. Tickets for the game can be purchased in-store, online, or on the Illinois Lottery app. For more information or to buy tickets online, please visit IllinoisLottery.com.