CHICAGO, October 24, 2025 – An Illinois Lottery player is still in shock and disbelief after claiming a $1 million top prize on a $10 scratch-off ticket.
“It’s all so unbelievable!” exclaimed the anonymous winner, nicknamed ‘Papa.’ “I didn’t even realize it was a winning ticket until I scanned it at the store, just to double check. When the prize amount popped up on the screen, I turned as white as a ghost! I tucked the ticket safely inside my coat and immediately sprinted home.”
The $1 million winning scratch-off ticket was purchased at P&S Liquor, located at 7319 Irving Park Road on Chicago’s northwest side.
“When I got home, I told my wife, ’We just won $1 million!’” Papa recalled with a laugh. “Even she couldn’t believe it. She stared at me wide-eyed and just kept saying, ‘What? Are you sure?’”
The lucky player won the top prize on a Jumbo Bucks ticket, which launched in April.
Both Papa and his wife are retired and plan to use their winnings to continue supporting their family. “We’ve always put family first, and that won’t change. We plan to start college funds for all four of our grandkids,” he said.
The couple also plans to celebrate with a long-awaited vacation abroad. “I’ve never been to Europe, but our families are Irish and Italian,” said Papa. “You better believe we’re going overseas for a nice trip!”
This is also a big win for the retailer that sold the winning ticket, as the store will receive a selling bonus of one percent of the prize amount. For P&S Liquor, that means a bonus of $10,000.
This win marks the 52nd time in 2025 that an Illinois Lottery player has won $1 million or more on a scratch-off ticket.
The Illinois Lottery currently offers a range of Instant Ticket games priced from $1 to $50, available at approximately 7,000 retail locations across Illinois.
About the Illinois Lottery
The Illinois Lottery, founded in 1974, has contributed over $25 billion to the State’s Common School Fund in support of K-12 public education in Illinois since 1985. The Common School Fund is the Illinois Lottery’s primary beneficiary, receiving nearly 99% of Illinois Lottery proceeds. The Illinois Lottery also supports various specialty causes as described in the Illinois Lottery Law (20 ILCS 1605/21.4). For more information about the Illinois Lottery and the causes we support, please visit IllinoisLottery.com.