An Illinois man's birthday celebration turned into a million-dollar surprise after a lottery ticket gifted to him by a friend won a $1 million prize. The Bradwood resident had received several lottery tickets inside an envelope from a friend during a birthday party organised by his wife, according to a report by UPI.
One of the tickets was for the Illinois Lottery's August 8 Lotto Million 2 drawing. It matched all six winning numbers, 11, 17, 22, 26, 36 and 45, earning him a $1 million prize.
"I never would've imagined actually winning," the man told Illinois Lottery officials, according to UPI.
However, he initially did not realise how much he had won. At first, he believed the ticket had earned him only $1,000.
He asked one of his friends to check the ticket, but the friend also appeared to miss the jackpot.
"I thought, 'Wow, a thousand bucks isn't bad, this was a great day.' But I was not prepared for what came next," he said.
The man and his wife then went to an Illinois Lottery prize centre to claim what they believed was a $1,000 prize.
"We told the staff that I won a thousand dollars," he said. But a lottery worker told him that his prize was actually worth $1 million.
The unexpected news left him in shock, while his wife began to cry.
The birthday celebrant also won an additional $2 on another line of the same ticket after matching two numbers.
He said he plans to use some of the money for his annual trip to visit family in Florida. He is also considering buying a new car and a golf cart.
The couple also plans to celebrate their 40th wedding anniversary with a cruise. The winner said he would also treat his children during the celebrations.
According to the official Illinois Lottery, prizes of more than $600 and up to $1 million can be claimed at a claim centre by appointment or by mail. The lottery's official guidance also says winners of Lotto prizes must claim them within one year of the drawing date.
