Man Wins $1 Million Betting On His Favorite Color In IL Lottery

CHICAGO — One Illinois Lottery player bet on his favorite color and was rewarded with $1 million.

The winning $10,000,000 Bankroll ticket was bought at a Speedway gas station in the 3200 block of South Cicero Avenue on Chicago’s southwest side.

“My favorite color is green because St. Jude — my favorite Apostle — wore a green robe,” the lucky winner, who dubbed himself San Judas Tadeo, said in a lottery news release. “I saw the green scratch-off ticket, so I took a chance — and boy, did it pay off big time. I was in complete shock — totally speechless. I didn’t say a word to anyone, just kept staring at the ticket. Then I slowly walked to my car like nothing had happened.”

He plans to use his winnings to pay some bills and buy VIP tickets for the Chicago Bulls to enjoy with his son.

“I called my wife from the car and told her we won $1 million, but she kept saying, ‘You’re crazy, you’re seeing things — I don’t believe you,’” he said in the news release. “When I got home, I told my kids, and they didn’t believe me either. I finally scanned the ticket, and everyone’s mouths just dropped — then came the screaming, crying, and jumping up and down in joy.”

For selling the winning ticket, the Speedway station will receive a $10,000 cash bonus.

So far this year, more than 18.3 million winning Illinois Lottery scratch-off tickets have been sold, netting players over $483.5 million in prizes, according to the lottery.