Someone purchased a Mega-Millions ticket worth a cool $1 million at a 7-Eleven store in Chicago’s Roscoe Village neighborhood on Tuesday.
That person hasn’t come forward yet.
MEGA MILLIONS WINNING NUMBERS: 3-11-12-38-43 Mega Ball: 15 Megaplier: 4
The owner of the store at 2341 W. Belmont Avenue, Krunal Patel, will be getting a bonus, too.
Patel said the doors to the 7-Eleven recently opened in August, and it’s been quite a warm welcome to the neighborhood and a wish come true for the store.
The owner of the store plans on sharing some of the 1% bonus for selling the winning ticket with his employees.
“What makes me happy, and my favorite part of selling Illinois Lottery tickets, is that these lottery wins give someone else a chance to live a better life and help make their dreams come true. I tell my customers if you win, I win,” Patel said. “I plan to use this selling bonus as an opportunity to invest in my employees and customers. My employees will receive a bonus, especially the one who sold the winning ticket and I will throw a customer appreciation party – when guidelines allow. I want our customers to see how much we want to be a part of this community and thank them for supporting us, especially during this time of Covid.”
There was plenty of excitement at the gas station later Friday, as many bought tickets hoping to be the next lucky winner.
“It couldn’t be more timely with everything that is going on, to have a jackpot like this to drive some excitement and take people away from some of the day-to-day they have to face,” said Illinois State Lottery Director Harold Mays.
The loot fever started heating up after the Roscoe Village mini mart sold that million-dollar ticket.
“Oh yeah, I’m excited right now since the big jackpot that $750 million. Lots of customers are excited right now to buy those tickets,” Patel said.
Since both the Mega Millions and the Powerball jackpots surpassed more than $500 million for a second time, the two lottery machines at the Video Connection in the city’s Hyde Park neighborhood are buzzing.
“It’s been crazy. The line has been out the door,” said Charles Price at Video Connection.
But the odds of winning Friday’s $750 million Mega Millions Jackpot by matching all five numbers — plus the Mega Ball — is pretty steep at one in 302 million.
The Powerball isn’t much better at one in 292 million.
According to some experts, you are more likely to be killed by a falling coconut than win the big prize. There’s a one in 50 million chance that will happen.
But let’s say you beat the odds and the money you dropped on a ticket yields you the whopping $550 million cash payout.
“I’m just trying my luck, so I can retire early,” Mega Millions player Tess Sylvester said. “I’m a nurse, so I’m so tired.”
You could do that or spend the money on one of the world’s most expensive cars. A 2021 Bugatti Chiron goes for $3.6 million.
The Mega Millions Jackpot is now up to $750 million, the largest prize ever in Illinois if it’s won.
And there is now an estimated $1.39 billion in jackpot prizes to be won across both Mega Millions and Powerball. This is only the second time in the history of these games that both jackpots have simultaneously rolled with jackpots over $600 million.
The next drawing for the Mega Millions jackpot is at 10 p.m. Friday. The drawing for the Powerball is Saturday.
