IL Mom Wins $800K Jackpot Playing Kids' Birthdays In Online Lotto Picks

An Illinois iLottery player is celebrating a big win after a casual at-home play landed her an $800,000 Lucky Day Lotto jackpot.

The winner, who chose to remain anonymous under the name "Jenny," purchased her winning ticket using a meaningful set of numbers—her children’s birthdays.

"My usual numbers are always a combination of my birthday and my kids’ birthdays," Jenny said. "I was in complete shock when I saw I had won."

She added with a laugh, "My reaction must have startled my daughter— she ran to get my husband to check on me."

Jenny’s ticket matched all five numbers— 8-11-15-23, and 37— in the March 13 Lucky Day Lotto drawing, securing the $800,000 top prize.

"Something magical happened that day," she said. "Everything changed when I played Lucky Day Lotto at home."

Jenny plans to use her winnings to support her children’s future, particularly their education.

"This prize is a tremendous blessing that will help secure their academic pursuits," she said. "We’re so grateful for their lucky numbers, and we plan to celebrate with a fun family vacation."

Already this year, more than 2.7 million winning Lucky Day Lotto tickets have been sold, with players statewide claiming nearly $16 million in prizes.

Lucky Day Lotto is an Illinois-only draw game with two daily drawings at 12:40 p.m. and 9:22 p.m., and jackpots starting at $100,000. Tickets are available in-store, online, and via the Illinois Lottery app.

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