A Chicago area woman won $400,000 on a scratch-off ticket this week, Illinois Lottery officials said.
Mary, from Wood Dale, bought a $5 Instant Ticket from the Jewel-Osco grocery store located at 343 W. Irving Park Rd.
“When I scratched the instant ticket and saw $400,000, I was in total shock!” exclaimed Mary. “My husband said my face turned white and my jaw dropped. We truly couldn’t believe it, so we used the Illinois Lottery app to scan the barcode on the ticket and sure enough, we were holding a winning ticket worth $400,000 – we both screamed with joy!
So far this year, Illinois Lottery officials say 47 million winning instant tickets have been sold in the state — netting lottery players over $1 billion.
“My mom, who lived to the age of almost 100, passed away a few years ago. When she was in her nursing home, I would bring her scratch-off lottery tickets and we would play them together. Not only did the excitement motivate her, but the arm movement was good therapy,” Mary reminisced. “I wish I could be sharing my exciting win with her today.”
The Illinois Lottery encourages winners to write their name on the back of their ticket and keep it in a safe place until they claim their prize.
