Factory Worker Wins $50,000 Lottery Prize

Michael Phillips, of Waukegan, won a $50,000 lottery prize this past month.

Phillips, 50, is a production supervisor at a factory. He was at a store after work when he used the lottery self-service scanner to check his Powerball ticket and the message “file a claim” displayed on the screen, according to an Illinois Lottery Prize press release.

“I thought maybe I won $1,000," Phillips said. "When the clerk told me I won $50,000, I couldn’t believe it!”

His Quick Pick ticket matched four numbers, plus the Powerball number, in the Saturday, March 19 drawing. His plans for the windfall include buying a new car and taking his daughter shopping.

He bought his $50,000 winning ticket at a Citgo at 2400 West Grand Avenue in Waukegan. The retailer received a bonus of $500, or one percent of the prize amount, for selling a winning ticket.