River Grove lottery player credits number 56 for winning $1M in scratch-off game
An Illinois Lottery player is celebrating after winning $1 million from a scratch-off ticket purchased at a suburban gas station.
The player, who nicknamed himself "Fateful 56," bought the $10 Jumbo Bucks ticket at a Shell gas station at 2474 N. Thatcher Avenue in River Grove, about 15 miles northwest of downtown Chicago.
"My wife wanted a soda, so I ran out to a nearby gas station. At the checkout, I decided to pick up a couple of scratch-off tickets, too," he said.
When he realized he had won the prize, he said his wife thought it was a prank.
"She didn't believe me at all! I had to scan the ticket on my app to prove it, and even then, she still thought I was playing a prank on her," he said.
"Of course, this is amazing, but it's also hard to wrap your head around," his wife said.
But there's a story behind the number 56.
"The winning number on the ticket was 56, and I'm 56 years old! I guess you could say I'm his lucky charm," the wife said.
The license plate on his friend's motorcycle also reads "56," but that's not why he chose the ticket.
"I actually picked the ticket because I saw the name 'Bucks' on it. I'm a hunter, and I thought it was a hunting-themed ticket—turned out, I was wrong," the winner said.
The gas station will receive a $10,000 bonus, one percent of the prize amount, for selling the winning ticket.
So far this year, 25 scratch-off tickets worth $1 million or more have already been won by players, according to lottery officials,
Players must be 18 years of age to participate.
