$500K jackpot Lucky Day Lotto ticket sold at northwest suburban wine shop
Richmond, Ill. — A jackpot-winning Lucky Day Lotto ticket was recently sold in McHenry County and the big winner is not the only one celebrating.
According to the Illinois Lottery, the player purchased a ticket for Sunday evening’s Lucky Day Lotto drawing and ended up hitting a $500,000 jackpot prize after matching all five numbers.
The Winning Numbers
The numbers drawn were 2, 3, 10, 19, and 26, according to officials from the Illinois Lottery.
The Winning Ticket
Lotto officials said the ticket was sold on Sunday at the International House of Wine and Cheese, located along US Highway 12 in Richmond, and the lucky lotto player is not the only one who will walk away with a prize.
Bonus Prize for the Store
As a bonus for selling the winning ticket, the owner of the shop, Tom Jiaras, will receive a $5,000 prize, equal to one percent of the jackpot.
Store Owner’s Reaction
“I found out our store sold a $500,000 winning lottery ticket when I got a call from an Illinois Lottery representative while I was on vacation,” Jiaras said.
Jiaras said he is looking forward to congratulating the big winner in person.
“Everyone at our store is so excited. I’m especially happy for the lucky customer who won the jackpot.,” Juarez said. “I hope they come back and tell us so we can share in their joyful moment, and maybe even get a picture together.”
Store’s History with Lottery Tickets
According to Jiaras, his shop, which opened in 1971, has been selling lottery tickets since they were first introduced fifty years ago.
“We’ve seen incredible changes over the decades: from the physical tickets to increasing jackpots and advancements in technology – everything has gotten better and better. It’s been such a joy to sell lottery tickets to our customers for so many years, and I’m excited to see how this big jackpot win may attract even more lottery customers to our store,” Jiaras said.
Previous Big Win
The shop could prove to be a lucky charm for players. Just a few years ago a $260,000 winning ticket was sold there.
“The customer came in and gave us his ticket to scan and check if he had won. I said, ‘It’s you! You’re the person we’ve been looking for!,’ to which he said, ‘What are you talking about?’ I said ‘Didn’t you know? You won $260,000!’ He stood there, completely frozen, for five minutes. He was so blown away, he couldn’t move. It was such a funny and amazing experience to see firsthand,” Jiaras said.
Taxes and Prizes
Sunday’s big winner will end up taking home about $355,250, which equals out to about $120,000 in federal taxes and about $24,750 in state taxes, according to TaxAct’s Lottery Tax Calculator.
About Lucky Day Lotto
Lucky Day Lotto, which is exclusively sold in Illinois, draws twice a day, at 12:40 p.m. and 9:22 p.m., and tickets can be purchased in-store, online, or on the Illinois Lottery app.
Lucky Day Lotto costs $1 per game and players have a 1 in 12 chance of winning a prize, but jackpot odds are much higher at 1 in 1,221,759. For $1 extra, players can also add EZmatch numbers to their ticket for a chance to claim an extra prize.
Conclusion
The winner of the jackpot ticket, whose name has not been disclosed, purchased just one of over 21,500 winning tickets that were sold for the drawing, which netted players nearly $560,000 in prizes.
FAQs
Q: How much did the jackpot winner take home?
A: The winner took home about $355,250, after federal and state taxes.
Q: How many winning tickets were sold for the drawing?
A: Over 21,500 winning tickets were sold for the drawing.
Q: How often does Lucky Day Lotto draw?
A: Lucky Day Lotto draws twice a day, at 12:40 p.m. and 9:22 p.m.
Q: Can I purchase Lucky Day Lotto tickets online or on the app?
A: Yes, tickets can be purchased in-store, online, or on the Illinois Lottery app.
