RIVER GROVE, Ill. (WGN) — What may have seemed like a tedious task quickly turned into a lottery victory for one Illinois man.
The lucky player, who nicknamed himself “Fateful 56,” said he purchased a life-changing scratch-off ticket at a Shell gas station in River Grove, Illinois. According to officials from the Illinois Lottery, the man snagged the top prize of $1 million while playing Jumbo Bucks, a $10 scratch-off lottery ticket.
But it wasn’t his idea to make the pit stop, according to the big winner, he picked up the ticket after running over to the gas station to pick up a drink for his wife.
“My wife wanted a soda, so I ran out to a nearby gas station. At the checkout, I decided to pick up a couple of scratch-off tickets, too,” the lucky player said.
The shock of the jackpot prize didn’t come until he got back home and revealed that he was holding a $1 million ticket.
“When I scratched the ticket at home and realized I’d won a million dollars, I was in total shock— but my wife was even more stunned. She didn’t believe me at all. I had to scan the ticket on my app to prove it, and even then, she still thought I was playing a prank on her,” the big winner said.
In addition to the newly minted millionaire, the gas station will also receive a $10,000 bonus for selling the ticket, equal to 1% of the prize amount.
Illinois officials shared details about the big win in a news release on Friday, though it is unclear exactly when the ticket was sold.
Jumbo Bucks is a $10 scratch-off game and players have a 1 in 3.61 chance at claiming a prize, though jackpot odds are much higher at 1 in 1,192,900.
Officials said so far this year, 25 scratch-off tickets worth $1 million or more have already been claimed. The most recent jackpot ticket was just one of more than 23 million winning instant tickets sold this year, which have netted players over $610 million in prizes.
Scratch-off ticket winners have one year from the date of winning to claim their prizes. The Illinois Lottery offers more than 25 Fast Play games online and in-store. Visit the Illinois Lottery website for more information on the games or to learn more about big wins.