Woman Wins $1M On Scratch-Off Bought On A Whim In South Elgin

A Northwest suburban resident is celebrating a life-changing win after a $50 scratch-off ticket—purchased on a whim—turned into a $1 million prize.

The winner, who chose to remain anonymous, said she purchased an Illinois Lottery $10 Million Bankroll Instant Ticket after her first choice was sold out.

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“I originally wanted a different ticket, but it was out of stock,” she said. “So I picked the one next to it, since I’ve played it before.”

She bought the winning ticket at a Speedway, 1775 N. Lafox St. in South Elgin, and scratched it in the store’s parking lot.

“I kept asking myself, ‘Am I reading this correctly?’” she said. “I was in complete shock—I couldn’t believe it. It felt like destiny.”

She quickly shared the news with her family, who were equally stunned.

“It still hasn’t sunk in that I’ve won—and I don’t think it has for my husband either,” she said.

The new millionaire said she plans to celebrate with travel and possibly a new home. She and her husband, both Nintendo fans, are considering a trip to Nintendo World in Florida and a tropical cruise.

The Speedway that sold the winning ticket will receive a $10,000 bonus, equal to 1 percent of the prize.

Illinois Lottery officials said Instant Tickets range in price from $1 to $50 and are sold at about 7,000 retail locations statewide. So far this year, more than 20.3 million winning Instant Tickets have been sold, with nearly $563 million in prizes claimed.