Illinois Lottery player Ashur Al Rahib of Chicago was both shocked and delighted after purchasing a $10 scratch-off lottery ticket that won him a cool $1 million.
The winning scratch-off ticket was purchased at a Mobil gas station in Chicago’s West Ridge neighborhood, located at 2500 W. Peterson Avenue.
“I stop by this gas station often as it’s in my neighborhood,” said Al Rahib. “On this particular day, I wasn’t sure which lottery ticket to pick. The store associate, Romy, showed me a few options but covered the names of the games so I couldn’t see them. I randomly pointed at one – and I can’t believe the ticket I chose has made me a millionaire!”
Romy Singh, the store associate at the Mobil who sold Al Rahib his winning ticket, shared, “Ashur is a good and hardworking man. He’s been coming here for a long time, so we’ve gotten to know each other.”
Singh added, “After realizing his ticket won $1 million, Ashur came back and told me, ‘You gave me good luck, thank you!’ He was so happy, and I’m very happy for him.”
Al Rahib may be onto something about Singh and the Mobil being lucky, as the store has sold a $25,000 and a $50,000 winning lottery ticket in the last two years.
Al Rahib, thrilled about his win, added, “Before I was able to claim my prize, I would double-check my ticket every morning to make sure it was, in fact, a $1 million winning ticket. Sometimes I have to pinch myself to make sure I’m not dreaming.”
As for what the lucky winner will do with his winnings, he shared, “I’d like to buy a small building, and open a meat market and bakery. I also plan to donate some to my church.”
He also offered some advice to fellow lottery players, saying, “If you win, do good things with the money- not just for yourself, but for other people, too. Always remember to give back.”
Al Rahib won the top prize on a $10 Red Hot Millions scratch-off ticket.
For selling the winning ticket, the Mobil on W. Peterson Ave. in Chicago will receive a one percent bonus, or $10,000.
Already this year, more than 10.7 million Illinois Lottery scratch-off tickets have been sold, netting players over $279 million in prizes.
The Illinois Lottery currently offers a range of Instant Ticket games priced from $1 to $50, available at approximately 7,000 retail locations across Illinois.
Instant Tickets b-roll, produced by the Illinois Lottery, is available for the media; download here.
March is Problem Gambling Awareness Month. During March and throughout the year, the Illinois Lottery is committed to providing players with tools and resources to support positive play. If gambling has become a problem for you or someone you know, help and hope are here: call 1-800-GAMBLER.
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About the Illinois Lottery
The Illinois Lottery, founded in 1974, has contributed over $25 billion to the State’s Common School Fund in support of K-12 public education in Illinois since 1985. The Common School Fund is the Illinois Lottery’s primary beneficiary, receiving nearly 99% of Illinois Lottery proceeds. The Illinois Lottery also supports various specialty causes as described in the Illinois Lottery Law (20 ILCS 1605/21.4). For more information about the Illinois Lottery and the causes we support, please visit IllinoisLottery.com.
