ISLAND LAKE, IL — An Island Lake man is $1 million richer after purchasing the final scratch-off ticket in a batch at a local gas station, according to the Illinois Lottery.
Jerry, whose last name was not released, won the $1 million grand prize playing the Illinois Lottery’s “Millionaire Club” scratch-off game after stopping at Kelley’s Market, 3401 S. River Road in Island Lake, according to an Illinois Lottery news release.
“I initially bought a different $50 ticket, but that one didn’t hit,” Jerry said in a statement released by the Illinois Lottery. “So I grabbed another one — it was the last in that batch.”
Jerry said he scratched the ticket immediately inside the store and scanned it to verify the results.
“I was floored — I couldn’t believe it,” he said. “I started tapping on the machine, thinking, ‘Am I going crazy?’”
The winning ticket was purchased on April 1, making the moment even harder to believe, Jerry said.
“I bought this ticket on April Fools’ Day — I really thought it was a joke,” he added.
Kelley’s Market will receive a $10,000 bonus from the Illinois Lottery for selling the winning ticket.
Jerry said he plans to use the winnings to spend more time fishing and paddle kayaking on lakes in Wisconsin, hobbies he said he has enjoyed since childhood.
“I’ve been going fishing since I was a kid,” Jerry said. “I practically grew up on the water.”
He also plans to visit his 90-year-old mother in Arizona.
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