Chicago Mother Wins $400,000 on a $5 Illinois Lottery Scratch-Off at a Gage Park Convenience Store, Planning to Use the Prize for Her Three Children’s Education
CHICAGO, IL — A Chicago woman is celebrating a life-changing Illinois Lottery win after turning a $5 scratch-off into a $400,000 prize. The mother bought the ticket during a routine grocery trip and checked it right away in the store.
The Illinois Lottery said the winning play came from an In The Money Instant Ticket purchased at California Enterprises, a convenience store at 2800 W. 55th St. in Gage Park. She said she kept scanning the ticket because the result seemed too good to be true.
How she realized the ticket was a winner
Claudia said she first thought she was imagining things after the scan showed the big prize. She said she checked the results over and over before believing what she was seeing.
Once she got home, she told her mother and sister. They were skeptical at first, according to Claudia, and needed more convincing before accepting the news.
What she plans to do with the money
Claudia has three children and says the money will go toward their education. She also wants to use part of the windfall for a back-to-school shopping spree, though her kids do not know the trip is really about school supplies.
For selling the winning ticket, the retailer will receive a $4,000 bonus, equal to 1% of the prize. The Illinois Lottery also noted that a recent Powerball player in Quincy won a separate $1 billion prize.
Another big Illinois lottery moment
While Claudia’s win is the focus in Chicago, it arrives amid a stretch of eye-catching Illinois Lottery headlines. The Quincy Powerball jackpot added to that attention and underscored how big the state’s recent lottery fortunes have been.
For now, Claudia’s attention is closer to home, where the prize is set to help with family needs and a new school year.
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