Three Illinois Lottery players went in together on a Lucky Day Lotto ticket and struck big – winning $1.4 million. The lucky three, nicknamed “Tommy Lotto and Crew,” have been friends for decades.
Tommy purchased the jackpot-winning Lucky Day Lotto ticket for the Monday, October 4, midday drawing at his local Mobil gas station near Chicago’s Midway Airport, located at 5448 W. 55th St.
“After realizing the big win, I went back to the Mobil where I purchased the ticket and shared the exciting news with the clerk, Teresa. I’ve lived in the area for a long time, so we know each other at this point,” shared Tommy Lotto. “I swear the color drained from her face when I told her the news because she was so shocked. Then she burst out laughing and was so happy for me!”
The winning ticket matched all five numbers in Monday’s midday Lucky Day Lotto drawing to score the $1.4 million jackpot prize. The winning numbers were: 13-15-22-29-40.
“We have a group of friends, and we occasionally pool our money and go in on a lottery ticket when the jackpots are big,” said Tommy Lotto.
When asked about their reaction to hearing the news, the Crew shared, “When Tommy called and said we won, we thought he was kidding – then he read off the numbers. Our families and neighbors are thrilled for us!”
One member of the Crew laughed and added, “I actually called my boss to share the news. I said, ‘I won the lottery… but I’m still coming to work!’”
When asked what they plan to do with their unexpected prize, Tommy exclaimed, “This win is a miracle! Now, I can help pay for more of my daughter’s upcoming wedding. I’m also a huge Blackhawks fan, and I’m excited to treat my friends and family to many games this season.”
As for the Crew’s share of the prize, one is thrilled to be able to invest in retirement, and the other plans to help support his kids’ college tuition. “This is a life-altering win,” they agreed.
For selling the winning ticket, the Mobil will receive a 1 percent bonus of the prize amount, or $14,000.
This isn’t the first time the retailer has sold a big winning lottery ticket. Earlier this year, a $450,000 winning Lucky Day Lotto ticket was purchased at the same Mobil.
So far this year, over 11.4 million winning Lucky Day Lotto tickets have been sold, with total prizes amounting to more than $61.8 million for Illinois Lottery players.
Lucky Day Lotto is an Illinois-only game with twice daily drawings at 12:40 p.m. and 9:22 p.m.
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.