Lottery Ticket Switch Leads To $200K Win For IL Grandfather

MONTGOMERY, IL — A Montgomery man won $200,000 after his favorite Illinois Lottery ticket was sold out.

Clarence Neuenkirchen made a quick stop at Jewel-Osco at 3795 Orchard Road in Oswego, hoping to buy his favorite $5 Crossword ticket. It was sold out, so he opted for the 7X Bingo Multiplier scratch-off ticket instead — and it changed his life, according to a news release from the Illinois Lottery.

"7X Bingo Multiplier is my second favorite — it feels like a little escape," Neuenkirchen said in a statement. "I can take my time playing it."

When Neuenkirchen shared the news with his wife, she was elated, the release said.

"I honestly thought she was going to break the floor — she kept jumping up and down!" Neuenkirchen said, admitting that the reality of the win hadn't yet sunk in. "Maybe once the money is in our account, it’ll finally feel real."

With his winnings, Neuenkirchen plans to invest in his retirement and set up education funds for his school-aged grandchildren, while "the older ones will get a nice check." He and his wife also plan to take a cruise in the Gulf of Mexico — newly named the Gulf of America by President Donald Trump — and "maybe even travel to France," he said.

For selling the winning ticket, Jewel-Osco will receive a 1 percent — or $2,000 — bonus.

Officials said 100 percent of profits from the 7X Bingo Multiplayer specialty scratch ticket go toward these Illinois programs:

• Alzheimer's support programs
• Breast cancer research and support services
• HIV/AIDS education and research programs
• Homelessness prevention and assistance programs
• IL Dream Fund Commission scholarships
• Multiple Sclerosis research
• Police Memorials support programs
• Special Olympics Illinois athletes
• The United Negro College Fund scholarships
• Veterans' support programs

"When people play the Illinois Lottery, they help fund a brighter future for the State," the release said. "Approximately 99% of all lottery proceeds go directly to the Common School Fund, which supports K-12 education funding in Illinois."