Winner winner chicken dinner! You just won the lottery, but do you know what to do next? Here’s what to know before you cash out.
One lucky suburban Chicago lottery player is waking up $650,000 richer.
According to the Illinois Lottery, a jackpot-winning Lucky Day Lotto ticket worth $650,000 was sold over the weekend at the Berwyn minimart, located inside a Clark gas station at 1546 Lombard Avenue.
Store owner Mayurkumar Patel said he didn't realize his store had sold the winning ticket until a regular customer came in and shared the news.
“I didn’t believe them until I went on the Illinois Lottery website and checked for myself," Patel said in a press release. "As soon as I saw my store listed as where the winning ticket was sold, my eyes went huge, my jaw dropped, and I burst out in laughter!”
According to lottery officials, the winning ticket matched all five numbers in the Oct. 5 evening Lucky Day Lotto drawing to win the $650,000 grand prize. The winning numbers were 4, 19, 29, 30 and 34, officials said.
While Patel now knows his store sold the winning ticket, the winner hasn't yet come forward.
“We have multiple regular customers who could be the big winner," Patel said. "Every time I see a customer come through the door now, I think, ‘They might be the lucky one who won.’"
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The Berwyn minimart will also receive a prize for selling the winning ticket, lottery officials said -- in the form one percent of the prize, or $6,500.
So far in 2024, over 10.2 million winning Lucky Day Lotto tickets have been sold, the Illinois Lottery said.
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According to officials, winners have one year from the date of the winning draw in which to claim their prize. Those who win a prize of $250,000 or greater can choose to remain anonymous, the Illinois Lottery said.
Lucky Day Lotto is an Illinois-only game with twice daily drawings at 12:40 p.m. and 9:22 p.m.
