An Illinois Man Won the Same Lottery Game Twice, 15 Years Apart, for $1.3 Million

Image Credit: Illinois Lottery

An Illinois man just won $1.3 million on Lucky Day Lotto with a spur-of-the-moment Quick Pick, and it is the second time he has hit the same game. Fifteen years ago, back when it was called Little Lotto, the same player won $45,000.

A Drink and a Whim

The winner, an anonymous Chicagoland resident, bought the ticket at the Oswego BP at 2791 US Highway 34 in Oswego, Illinois, and all five of his numbers, 1, 13, 19, 27, and 35, matched the Thursday, June 11 evening Lucky Day Lotto draw. He had not planned to play. "I just stopped by the store for a drink and thought, why not," he told the Illinois Lottery. "I played a Quick Pick, and it turned out to be a lucky day."

The BP Gas Station that sold the winning ticket. Image Credit: Google Maps

It took a scan to make it real. "I didn't believe it at first. I asked myself, am I dreaming," he said. "Once I scanned the ticket and realized the numbers matched, reality set in." He plans to buy a new home for his family and put the rest toward his and his wife's retirement. "We are just so grateful for this blessing," he said. "I'm sure our kids will be, too." The Oswego BP that sold the ticket earned a $13,000 bonus, one percent of the jackpot, for the sale.

Lightning Strikes Twice

Winning a lottery jackpot once is rare enough. This player has now won the same game twice. He shared the news with his wife first, and she was thrilled. "It's funny, I actually won a $45,000 prize playing this same game 15 years ago when it was called Little Lotto," he said. Illinois rebranded Little Lotto as Lucky Day Lotto years ago, but for this winner it is the same draw that has now paid out twice across a decade and a half.

About the Game, and the Quick Pick

Lucky Day Lotto is an Illinois-only draw game held twice a day, with jackpots that start at $100,000 and grow until someone hits all five numbers. This winner let the machine choose for him with a Quick Pick, which is how a majority of lottery tickets are bought. It is worth knowing that a Quick Pick does not change your odds one way or the other, something we walk through in the difference between a Quick Pick and picking your own numbers.

Illinois Lottery: Chicagoland Man Claims $1.3 Million Lucky Day Lotto Jackpot

New York Post: Lucky Illinois man scores $1.3 million after winning the same lottery draw twice in 15 years