Attorney Andrew Stoltmann has represented 12 lottery winners, many of whom lost all their winnings through bad investments, reckless spending and greedy relatives. “Unfortunately, the people who win the lottery think at that point, the journey is over. And what they don’t realize is that the journey has really just begun,” says the Chicago-based Stoltmann.
A Lucky Day Lotto player on Chicago's Northwest Side walked away with a $700,000 prize thanks to a winning ticket purchased at a grocery store last month, according to the Illinois Lottery.
The player, who bought the ticket at Jewel-Osco at 4660 West Irving Park Road, said he occasionally adds a quick pick ticket to his shopping when buying groceries.
“I didn’t even find out I won until a week or so after the drawing. That’s when I went to a Lottery machine to check if my ticket had won, and the machine said ‘Congratulations, You Won’ but I didn’t know what the prize was," the winner said to lottery officials.
The winning ticket was for the evening drawing on Sunday, Nov. 10.
The winner said he plans to take a trip to Europe with his wife with his prize money.
“I am planning a trip to Europe with my wife. I want to visit Portugal, Italy, and Spain. It will be so nice to enjoy our trip, and this money gives us the opportunity to travel more often and take longer trips," he said.
For selling the winning ticket, the Jewel-Osco will receive a $7,000 bonus, or 1% of the total winnings.
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More information on games offered by the Illinois Lottery can be found here.
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