An Illinois man says his grandmother played a role in his $1 million lottery win.
According to Illinois Lottery officials, the anonymous winner, who calls himself “Grandma is my lucky charm,” bought a Powerball ticket during his lunch break, unaware that luck was about to strike.
“The $240 million jackpot drawing was that night, but I work late, so I took a quick lunch break to grab a ticket and try my luck,” he said.
When he arrived at a Road Ranger gas station, he noticed a familiar car in the parking lot.
“I saw a car that looked just like my grandma’s,” he recalled. “And guess what? It was her car, and she was right by the cash register, checking out.”
Hours later, after buying the ticket and hugging his grandmother, he realized he had won. The ticket matched all five numbers in the October 11 Powerball drawing: 13-16-18-20-27, giving him $1,000,004 in total winnings.
“I scanned the ticket, and it said ‘You won $1,000,004.’ I didn’t believe it, so I scanned it again. That’s when I started screaming and hyperventilating,” he said.
He called his grandmother immediately, and she jokingly asked, “Are you sure you won?” He confirmed the numbers manually online, all matched—except the Powerball.
The winner said he plans to share some of his winnings with his grandmother, whom he calls his good luck charm, and buy a new car.
The gas station where he purchased the ticket will also receive a prize equal to one percent of the total winnings—$10,000.
So far in 2025, twelve Illinois Lottery players have won Powerball prizes of $1 million or more. Tickets can be purchased in-store or online through the Illinois Lottery website or mobile app. Each Powerball ticket costs $2, with an optional $1 Power Play to multiply non-jackpot prizes.
This news follows a similar story in Michigan, where a 33-year-old man won $1 million after buying a ticket left on a gas station counter by another customer.
“There was a Blazing Suits ticket set aside on the counter that someone else had decided not to purchase, so I purchased it,” he said. “I scratched the ticket off and couldn’t believe it when I saw it was a $1 million winner! I never would have thought I’d win such a large lottery prize, so it’s truly a blessing.”
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