Illinois lottery instant games give players the chance to win big prizes simply by scratching off sections of their ticket. They are an integral part of Illinois’ economy and can be purchased both from lottery retailers and vending machines; prize sizes typically range from $1-$30 with proceeds donated directly back into charitable causes, like Carolyn Adams Ticket for the Cure title which helps fund breast cancer research and services.
The new $10 Million Scratch & Win game gives players the chance to instantly win prizes of up to $330 Million, according to a news release. Players have an opportunity of instantly claiming three top prizes of $10 Million each and 15 prizes of $1 Million with minimum prizes starting from $500 – all accessible online, in store and participating lottery kiosks.
NBC 5 Investigates discovered that the Illinois Lottery often kept certain games on sale weeks or months after awarding their top prizes, such as World Class Millions being sold long after its $15 Million prize had expired. Camelot Illinois told NBC 5 they notify retailers when a top prize has no longer existed but this process can take time.
Lottery officials acknowledge they can’t promise winners will find winning tickets, but can provide players with strategies to maximize their odds of success by playing multiple games per day with tickets bearing various numbers and regularly reviewing results. They suggest purchasing multiple lottery tickets each day that contain different numbers as well as playing them across multiple days to increase odds of success and use of Illinois Lottery mobile app which lets users check winning tickets as well as keep tabs on purchases made over time.
Today, another Illinois player became an overnight millionaire after purchasing a Diamond Crossword 10X scratch-off ticket at a gas station in Oswego and winning its $1 Million Jackpot! The store will receive a $10,000 bonus for selling such an effective ticket, marking two million-dollar winners within seven days; Tuesday saw Thorntons gas station sell one selling Lucky Day Lotto ticket which brought one home.
While the Illinois Lottery does not publish names of winners, ticket holders who win can opt to remain anonymous by signing the official winner claim form with this request and signing it as such. Even so, the Illinois Lottery will still announce winning numbers and prize details publicly.
If you are an Illinois Lottery winner, you have the option of remaining anonymous by noting it on the winner claim form. However, should your prize exceed one million dollars, participation in publicity events may be required by the Illinois Lottery.