5 Inspiring IL Lottery Wins From 2024

ACROSS ILLINOIS — It's hard not to be a bit envious of the lucky few who won massive lottery prizes in Illinois this past year. But, their heartfelt reasons behind purchasing their tickets — and stories over how the windfall will change their lives — made us happy for them.

As we wind down the year, let us take some time to look back at some of the best stories from lottery winners in Illinois in 2024.

$552M Mega Millions Winner Will Retire Early, Spend Time With Family

ILLINOIS — The winner of a $552 million Mega Millions lottery prize this past year was raised by a single mom who worked two jobs to provide for their family, put food on the table and cover their education. The woman's win marks the largest jackpot in U.S. history to be won by playing the game online.

“I am a hard worker. I’ve spent my life as a laborer and once I was making a decent living, I asked my mom to retire and let me take care of her. It was my way of thanking her for how much she sacrificed for us. I haven’t told her yet about this life-changing windfall but when that time comes, we’re all going to be shedding some happy tears," she said.

The woman now plans to retire early and spend time with her family.

We've got the full story here.

3 Buddies From Southside Win $1.4M In Lucky Day Lotto

CHICAGO, IL — Three friends went in together on a Lucky Day Lotto ticket and struck it big —winning $1.4 million this past October. The lucky three, nicknamed “Tommy Lotto and Crew,” have been friends for decades.

Tommy purchased the jackpot-winning Lucky Day Lotto ticket from his local Mobil gas station near Chicago's Midway Airport, located at 5448 West 55th St.

“We have a group of friends, and we occasionally pool our money and go in on a lottery ticket when the jackpots are big,” Tommy said.

When asked about their reaction to hearing the news, the Crew shared: “When Tommy called and said we won, we thought he was kidding – then he read off the numbers. Our families and neighbors are thrilled for us.”

One member of the Crew laughed and added, “I actually called my boss to share the news. I said, ‘I won the lottery … but I’m still coming to work.”

When asked what they plan to do with their unexpected prize, Tommy exclaimed, “This win is a miracle. Now, I can help pay for more of my daughter’s upcoming wedding. I’m also a huge Blackhawks fan, and I’m excited to treat my friends and family to many games this season.”

As for the Crew’s share of the prize, one is thrilled to be able to invest in retirement, and the other plans to help support his kids’ college tuition. “This is a life-altering win,” they agreed.

You can read more about the big win here.

Man Surprises Wife With $25 Scratch-off, It Wins Them $1 Million

MONEE, IL — A tired husband heading home from work this past August had to make a stop at a store. He decided to surprise his wife by buying her a $25 Diamond Crossword scratch-off lottery ticket.

And it sure did pay off.

He chose the Diamond Crossword scratch-off lottery ticket because he knew she liked crosswords and puzzles. And the ticket ended up being a $1 million winner.

After learning of the win, his wife knew right away how some of the money will be spent.

"I’ve always dreamed of buying a house," she said. "It would be fabulous to finally say, 'We own this home.' After taking care of a few other necessary purchases, choosing the perfect house for our family will be the top priority."

You can find the full story here.

'A Message From Her': Man Wins $650K With Lotto Numbers Tied To Late Wife

CHICAGO, IL — A Chicago man used numbers connected to his late wife to pick the numbers that landed him a $650,000 lottery win this past year.

"When I won, it felt like it was a message from her," he said. He bought the ticket from a Mariano's in the Edgewater neighborhood. He plans to use the money from the winning Lucky Day Lotto jackpot to buy house.

“I’m already looking at houses, and can’t wait to purchase my dream home for myself and my kids — it truly is a dream come true,” he said in the news release from August.

You can read the full story here.

'Accidental' Illinois Lotto Ticket Purchase Pays Off For With $9.2M Win

An Addison man went to buy a lottery ticket from a machine at a Jewel-Osco when it got stuck on a Lucky Lotto ticket.

“I actually wanted to buy a ticket for a different game and the machine got stuck on Lotto. I was a bit frustrated. I said, ‘What is going on? The machine won’t give me the right game!’ So I decided I may as well buy the Lotto ticket," he said this past fall.

The winner matched all six numbers, 2-15-21-29-42-44, during the Aug. 24 drawing, landing the lucky winner $9.2 million.

“The morning after the drawing, I scanned the ticket at a machine to check if it was a winner. When the machine showed the $9.2 million prize amount, I couldn’t believe it!,” he asid. “I looked at my wife and she was completely speechless. We are laughing over how angry I was at the broken machine — and we’re so grateful for how it all turned out.”

You can read more about the man's accidental win here.

Also read: IL Lottery Player Rings In New Year With $2.6M Fast Play Win