- A player in Illinois nicknamed the Classic Car Collector has just won $2m from the Mega Bucks game
- He played with a $20 scratch-off ticket and had a difficult time acknowledging that he had indeed won
- The winner has announced no immediate plans for what he would do with the money, but he has a few ideas
A lucky player in Illinois has won an eye-watering sum, grabbing the $2m lottery prize from the Mega Bucks game.
The player had bought a $20 scratch-off ticket and managed to turn it into a massive seven-figure payday.
Turning a $20 scratcher into a $2m payday
Although the winner’s name was not revealed by the Illinois Lottery, and the player himself had wished to remain anonymous, there was the celebratory fanfare and photo-op with an outsized check all the same.
The winner had the chance to scratch the film off the ticket and realize that he had won the life-altering sum. He couldn’t believe his eyes at the moment; he told the lottery later. So flabbergasted at his good fortune, the man went back to the Lenny’s Gas N Wash at 1201 W. Jefferson Street in Shorewood and scanned the ticket inside.
The machine had no second thoughts, however, and promptly displayed “WINNER” in flashing colors on the screen, convincing the ticket holder that he had indeed won!
“That’s when it really started to sink in, and my first thought was,” he added, describing the events that followed – he had to go home and tell his wife. He did, and the experience was emotional – the man’s wife appeared at one point, he claimed, as if she were going to faint.
Of course, as is customary with such big wins, the venue that sold the ticket will also get a
Well, as it turns out, the man loves to collect classic cars – a longtime hobby of his. With a fair share of the $2m coming his way before long, he would have time to treat himself to a new vintage vehicle if he chose to.
The important thing is to stay out of trouble, which is not the case for the Kentucky Powerball winner, who snatched the $167m top prize only to land in jail a few days after he confirmed his identity.