A northern Illinois father has won $1 million on a scratch-off ticket — on only his second time playing the game. The winning ticket was sold at Cub Foods, 1512 S. West Avenue in Freeport, and the Illinois Lottery confirmed the win on Tuesday.
The winner, who has chosen to stay anonymous, played the $50 Millionaire Club instant ticket. According to the Illinois Lottery, the win came on his second attempt at the game, making it one of the luckiest debuts in the state’s recent lottery history.
A store bonus too
For selling the winning ticket, Cub Foods will receive a $10,000 selling bonus from the Illinois Lottery. Retailers across the state earn the bonus whenever they sell a ticket worth $1 million or more, and the Freeport store is the latest to cash in.
The win is the latest in a run of big scratch-off prizes across the United States this month. On Monday, a Michigan woman discovered she had won $2 million on a scratch-off after thinking she had won only $5,000, and a Houston man claimed $5 million on a $100 Titanium Black ticket last week.
What happens next
The winner has not said publicly what he plans to do with the money. Illinois Lottery winners of $1 million can choose how to receive their prize, and the lottery advises winners to take financial advice before claiming.
The $50 Millionaire Club game remains on sale across Illinois, with other top prizes still unclaimed. For the Freeport father, though, the game is already over — and it ended in the best possible way.
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