Someone in Illinois is waking up a millionaire hundreds of times over. A Mega Millions ticket worth $349 million was sold at a Casey’s General Store in Cortland, Illinois, for Tuesday night’s drawing.
The lucky player matched all five numbers and the Mega Ball — 1, 5, 17, 39, 62, and Mega Ball 8 — to win the top prize.
The store that sold the ticket, located at 70 S. Somonauk Road, will receive a $500,000 bonus from the Illinois Lottery.
This marks the fourth time in four years that an Illinois player has hit the Mega Millions jackpot:
- In June 2024, an online ticket won $552 million — the largest online lottery win in U.S. history.
- In July 2022, a Des Plaines gas station sold a $1.34 billion winning ticket — still the biggest lottery prize ever in Illinois.
- In June 2021, a $56 million ticket was sold at a Citgo in Crestwood.
Mega Millions tickets also help fund public education. This jackpot run generated nearly $24 million in ticket sales, returning more than $9 million to the Common School Fund, which supports K-12 education in Illinois.
Winners have one year from the drawing date to claim their prize. Lottery officials advise players to sign the back of their ticket and store it safely until they’re ready to come forward.
Mega Millions drawings are held every Tuesday and Friday. Tickets cost $2, with an optional $1 Megaplier add-on to increase non-jackpot winnings.
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