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An Illinois resident is celebrating a million-dollar prize after scoring a lucky win in the Mega Millions drawing on Tuesday, July 30.
The anonymous player, who purchased their ticket online through the Illinois Lottery website (iLottery), matched all five white balls (19-23-30-33-50) to secure the $1 million prize.
Interestingly, another player in Texas also claimed a $1 million prize in the same July 30 Mega Millions drawing.
This isn't the first time online lottery play has paid off in Illinois. Earlier this year, another player became a multi-millionaire after purchasing a $552 million winning Mega Millions ticket online.
This exciting win comes just ahead of the next Mega Millions drawing, scheduled for Friday, August 2, with an estimated jackpot of $358 million.
Here's a quick rundown of what you need to know.
Playing Mega Millions in Illinois
Mega Millions is a multi-state lottery game with a starting jackpot of $20 million that can grow rapidly after each drawing without a winner.
To play, you choose five numbers from 1 to 70 (the white balls) and one number from 1 to 25 (the Mega Ball). If your numbers match all six winning numbers drawn, you win the jackpot! There are also nine other prize tiers for matching fewer numbers.
Tickets for Mega Millions cost $2 each. You can also add the Megaplier option for an extra $1 per play. This is a multiplier that can randomly increase your non-jackpot winnings by 2x, 3x, 4x, or even 5x.
Mega Millions drawings are held twice a week, every Tuesday and Friday night at 10:00 p.m. CT.
Claiming your prize
Winning amounts are automatically deposited into your online account wallet for prizes of $600 or less. However, if your winnings push your account balance over $2,000, the excess will be sent via check.
For prizes between $600 and $10,000, you can claim them at an Illinois Claim Center, by mail, or through an e-Claim option.
Prizes exceeding $10,000 require claiming in person at a Claim Center or by mail.
Keeping it confidential (sort of)
For prizes of $250,000 or more, winners can request confidentiality for their name and city of residence by indicating this choice on the Illinois Lottery Winner Claim Form.
This request must be made at the time of claiming the prize. Otherwise, to ensure transparency, the Illinois Lottery will publish basic winner information. However, they won't disclose your address, phone number, or other personal details.
So if you win big…
For multi-million dollar jackpots, winners may be asked to participate in publicity events.
Remember, playing the Illinois Lottery should be for fun, not a guaranteed path to riches. Play responsibly, and good luck!
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