BY WGN WEB DESK
A Chicago man who purchased his first $20 scratch ticket is now $20 million richer.
Illinois Lottery officials did not reveal the man’s name, but said he scratched a 20X20 ticket and instantly won the top prize of $20,000 a week for 20 years, resulting in a total prize of $20,800,000.
The man said he has played Lucky Day Lotto regularly for the past 18 years but has never won a big prize.
A co-worker had been trying to convince him to buy an instant ticket, and finally, when the two were together at Plaza Food & Liquor, 3459 W. Ogden Ave., in Chicago, the man finally took him up on it and won BIG.
“I plan to buy a house and start my own business,” he said. “This winning ticket is my chance at living the American dream.”
Plaza Food & Liquor received a bonus of $208,000, or one percent of the prize amount, for selling the winning ticket.
This story originally appeared on WGN.
