Winning $344M Mega Millions Lottery Ticket Sold In IL

ILLINOIS — A gas station in rural Illinois sold a $344 million lottery ticket to a lucky winner, the Illinois Lottery announced.

The jackpot-winning Mega Millions ticket from a drawing Tuesday was sold at Casey's General Store in Cortland, located in rural DeKalb County.

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 winner could choose to receive a one-time cash payment of $159.1 million. The last time someone won the jackpot was in January, when an Arizona winner took home the $113 million prize, according to a report from USA Today.

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 – making this 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.

The winner comes on the heels of major changes coming to the Illinois Lottery. On April 5, a "new version" of Mega Millions is set to go into effect, including ticket price increases from $2 to $5, better odds and more frequent prizes, the Illinois Lottery said.

The starting jackpot will increase from $20 million to $50 million, and players will have 24 numbers to choose from in the Mega Ball field.

Winners have one year from the date of the winning draw in which to claim their prize. The Illinois Lottery encourages all lucky winners to write their name on the back of their ticket and keep it in a safe place until they’re ready to claim their prize.