Illinois Lottery Player Credits Grandma For $1 Million Powerball Win
Photo caption: Grandmas never run out of hugs—or in this case, good luck! Just ask this Illinois Powerball millionaire.
CHICAGO, November 25, 2025 — One Illinois Lottery player has a whole new reason to feel grateful this Thanksgiving — a quick lunch break and a surprise run-in with his grandmother led to a $1 million Powerball win.
“The $240 million jackpot drawing was that night, but I work late, so I took a quick lunch break to grab a ticket and try my luck,” said the winner, who chose to remain anonymous, but playfully dubbed himself ‘Grandma is my Lucky Charm!’
The lucky ticket was purchased at Road Ranger, located at 890 E. Hwy 38 in Rochelle, Illinois. It matched all five numbers — 13-16-18-20-27 — in the October 11 Powerball drawing, winning the $1,000,000 prize, plus an additional $4 on another line.
But it was what happened before he even bought the ticket that made the moment even more memorable.
“When I arrived at the store, I saw a car that looked just like my grandma's,” the winner recalled. “And guess what? It was her car and she was right by the cash register, checking out.”
The winner said the unexpected family encounter felt like the beginning of his lucky streak. “She ran over and gave me a hug,” he said, smiling.
The big payoff came later that evening. “I scanned the ticket and it said ‘You won $1,000,004.’ I didn’t believe it, so I scanned it again. That’s when I started screaming and hyperventilating,” laughed the newly-minted millionaire.
“I instantly called my grandma, and her first response was, ‘Are you sure you won?’” he continued. “I checked the numbers manually online, and everything matched—except the Powerball.”
As for what comes next, gratitude is at the top of his list. “I’m definitely sharing some of this with my grandma. She’s my good luck charm!” he shared. “And I’m going to buy a brand-new car, too.”
So far this year, 12 Illinois Lottery players have won Powerball prizes of $1 million or more.
For selling the winning ticket, the retailer will receive a $10,000 bonus, equal to 1% of the prize amount.
The Powerball jackpot is now a whopping $681 million for the next drawing, Wednesday, November 26, 2025, at 9:59 p.m. CT. Tickets can be purchased in-store or online via the Illinois Lottery website and mobile app. Powerball tickets are $2 each, and players can add the Power Play for an additional $1 for the chance to multiply non-jackpot prizes.
Powerball b-roll, available for use by the media, download here.
Be Smart, Play Smart®. Must be 18 or older to play. Game odds available at IllinoisLottery.com.
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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.