A friend gave an Illinois man a lottery ticket for his birthday. That gifted ticket won $1 million
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A Braidwood man has claimed a $1 million Lotto prize on a ticket he did not buy. According to the Illinois Lottery, a friend handed it to him in an envelope at his birthday party, and it matched all six numbers in the Lotto Million 2 drawing on Saturday, August 8. The winner asked to stay anonymous and his identity was covered by the big check in the winner's photo provided by the Illinois Lottery.
"My wife planned a party for my big day," he said in the lottery's announcement. "One of my friends handed me an envelope with some scratch-offs inside. I never would've imagined actually winning."
The ticket was sold at Gas N Wash at 1951 E. Laraway Road in New Lenox. The numbers were 11-17-22-26-36-45. Another line on the same ticket matched two numbers and added $2 to the win.
Two people thought the win was $1,000 instead of $1,000,000
"I didn't even think I won anything at first glance," he said. "I had one of my friends check the ticket. He must've also overlooked it, because he said I only won a grand." He took that as a good birthday. "I thought, 'Wow, a thousand bucks isn't bad, this was a great day.' But I was not prepared for what came next."
The correction came went they went to the prize center. "We told the staff that I won a thousand dollars," he said. "One of the workers smiled and said 'Sir, you actually won a million dollars.' I was in complete shock. My wife even started tearing up." When the family got the calls, his son-in-law and eldest daughter asked if he was sure. "I told them, 'As sure as I am a year older.'"
He and his wife plan their usual winter trip to Florida to see relatives, purchase a new car along with a new golf cart, and a cruise for their 40th anniversary and the kids' birthdays. "I told them 'Dad's paying,'" he said.
What the gift is worth after tax
Illinois withholds 24% for federal tax and 4.95% for state tax on a prize this size.
| Amount | |
|---|---|
| Prize | $1,000,000 |
| Federal withholding (24%) | $240,000 |
| Illinois withholding (4.95%) | $49,500 |
| Check at the claim before additional taxes | $710,500 |
| Estimated total after all taxes | $623,000 |
The withholding is short of the final bill. A $1 million prize reaches the 37% federal bracket for an unmarried filer, so the federal tax comes to about $327,000 under 2026 rates, roughly $87,000 more to be paid next April. After all taxes are accounted for, the winner keeps about $623,000. Other amounts can be run through the lottery tax calculator.
The prize belongs to whoever claims the ticket, and the friend who bought it has no claim once it was handed over. What a gifted ticket means for the giver, and why the timing of the gift matters, is covered in what happens if you give someone a lottery ticket and it wins. Gas N Wash receives a $10,000 selling bonus, one percent of the prize.
Lotto is an Illinois-only game drawn Monday, Thursday, and Saturday, and each ticket is entered in three drawings, the main jackpot and two $1 million drawings called Lotto Million 1 and Lotto Million 2. The lottery said players have claimed more than 4.1 million winning Lotto tickets so far in 2026, with prizes above $47 million. Illinois also produced the $1.04 billion Powerball winner a few weeks ago in August.
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Frequently Asked Questions
Who won the $1 million Illinois Lotto prize with a gifted ticket?
A Braidwood resident who chose to stay anonymous. According to the Illinois Lottery, a friend gave him the ticket in an envelope at his birthday party, and it matched all six numbers, 11-17-22-26-36-45, in the Lotto Million 2 drawing on Saturday, August 8, 2026. The ticket was sold at Gas N Wash at 1951 E. Laraway Road in New Lenox.
If someone gives you a lottery ticket and it wins, who gets the money?
Whoever signs and claims the ticket. A lottery ticket is a bearer instrument, so the person holding it is the winner in the lottery’s eyes, and the friend who bought it has no claim once it has been handed over. The prize is taxable income to the person who claims it. What the giver owes, if anything, is a separate question that depends on when the gift was made.
How much of a $1 million Illinois Lottery prize do you keep?
The lottery withholds 24% for federal tax and 4.95% for Illinois tax, so the check is $710,500. A $1 million prize reaches the 37% federal bracket for an unmarried filer, so the final federal bill is closer to $327,000 than the $240,000 withheld, and the winner keeps about $623,000 after both taxes.
Jessie Jurado is a news writer who covers new scratch-off launches, state lottery guides, taxes on winnings, news, and much more. She joined ScratchCheck in 2026 and writes the site's state-by-state coverage.
