A last-minute gift turned into a big lottery win for a suburban Chicago family — and now they plan to use their winnings to fulfill a longtime dream.
The winning $1 million ticket was sold in south suburban Monee, at Monee Tobacco on West Monee Manhattan Road, according to the Illinois Lottery.
The unidentified winner said her husband bought the $25 scratcher as a gift for her.
“My husband was on his way home from work and was so tired that day that he didn’t want to stop at the store,” she said in a statement. “He knows I like crosswords and puzzles in general, so he bought me a $25 Diamond crossword a scratch card.”
The couple said they have only told their children about their $1 million win since then, revealing they were in shock.
As for what they plan to do with their prize, the couple plans to fulfill a long-held dream.
“I have always dreamed of buying a house. It would be great to finally say, ‘We own this house,’” the winner told the Illinois Lottery. “After taking care of a few other necessary purchases, choosing the perfect house for our family will be the top priority.”
Monee Tobacco, where the winning ticket was purchased, will also receive a sales bonus of one percent of the prize amount, or $10,000.