Chicago Lottery Winner Becomes Merry Millionaire With Scratch-Off Win

CHICAGO — The holidays are still nearly two months away, but that didn’t keep one local resident from getting into a holly-jolly mood early and walking away with $1 million in the process.

Illinois Lottery officials announced on Tuesday that the lucky winner from turning a $20 purchase of a Merry Multiplier scratch-off ticket from a South Side convenience store and becoming a millionaire.

The $1 million top prize-winning scratch-off was purchased at Super Shopper Food Mart, located at 1351 W. 79th St. in Chicago, lottery officials said.

The jackpot win also means big bucks for the owners of Super Shopper Food Mart. For selling the winning ticket, the store will receive a bonus of one percent of the prize amount, or $10,000, lottery officials said.

So far in 2023, more than 54 million winning instant tickets have been sold, netting Illinois Lottery winners over $1.1 billion in prizes, according to a news release.

Winners have one year from the date of the winning draw in which to claim their prize. The Illinois Lottery encourages all 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.