Chicago, IL (CHAMBANA TODAY) – A few favorite numbers – and one winning ticket – have turned an Illinois Lottery player into a multimillionaire overnight.
“I started playing Lotto in January last year, and it quickly became my favorite game,” said the winner, who has chosen to remain anonymous under the name ‘East St. Louis Lotto Winner.’ When asked about the winning numbers, the winner simply stated, “They’re my favorite numbers.”
It wasn’t until the morning after the draw that the news really sunk in. “I checked the Illinois Lottery’s website to see who won—and realized it was me. Of all of the people, it was me! I cried because I was too shocked.”
The winning Lotto ticket was purchased at Crown Mart, located at 306 E Broadway in East Saint Louis, Illinois. It matched all six numbers — 5-9-14-18-22-23 — in the August 25 Lotto drawing to secure the $14,600,000 jackpot.
As a reward for selling the winning ticket, the retailer will receive a $146,000 bonus, 1% of the prize amount.
Looking ahead, the new millionaire is filled with excitement and gratitude. “I just want to take care of my family, get a nice house, and drive a Lexus,” the winner shared with a smile. “Paris is on my list too! I’m looking forward to sightseeing and taking it all in.”
Above all, the winner’s biggest motivation is family. “My granddaughters’ future is my priority and I’m using this prize money to support their education and dreams.”
This is the largest Illinois Lotto jackpot won in 2025, surpassing a previous $10.4 million prize awarded on February 8. So far this year, more than 4.8 million winning Lotto tickets have been sold, with Illinois Lottery players taking home over $47 million in prizes.
Lotto is an Illinois-only game that is played three times a week on Monday, Thursday and Saturday. Tickets for the game can be purchased in-store, online, or on the Illinois Lottery app. For more information or to buy tickets online, please visit IllinoisLottery.com.
