Illinois Lottery New Millionaire Claims Prize In Rockford
Photo caption: The winner of last Thursday’s Lotto Million 1 drawing, dubbed the “Lucky Lotto Millionaire,” has officially claimed their $1 million prize in Rockford.
CHICAGO, April 10, 2025 – Last week’s Lotto Million 1 winner has officially come forward to claim their $1 million prize at the Illinois Lottery prize center in Rockford. The lucky player scored the life-changing win after purchasing their ticket through the Illinois Lottery app.
“I’ve never been a big lottery player– in fact, I’ve never won anything big in my life– until now!” shared the winner, nicknamed Lucky Lotto Millionaire. “After Thursday’s drawing, I got an email saying I’d won, and I figured that I’d won back the $2 that I had spent on the ticket. And I did win back my two dollars… but imagine my surprise when I realized I’d also won $1 million, too!”
The winning online player matched all six numbers in the April 3 Lotto Million 1 drawing to score the $1 million prize. The winning numbers were: 1-11-16-21-26-44.
“It wasn’t until I compared the winning numbers with those on my ticket that I realized I had actually won $1 million. I even sent a copy of my ticket to my dad, who is super analytical, to double-check it for me. He’s not a lottery player, but I have a feeling he might start playing now,” laughed the winner.
“The next person I told was my best friend, who was over the moon for me! She texted me smiley-face emojis all day, which perfectly captured how I was feeling. My cheeks have been sore from smiling so much!”
As for what they have planned with their prize money? The lucky Lotto winner shared, “I’d love to treat my family to a nice vacation. My niece is especially fascinated by the history of Egypt, so I’m hoping to surprise everyone with a special trip there!”
This is the third Illinois Lottery player this year to win $1 million or more with Lotto. On Feb. 8, a player took home an impressive $10.4 million Lotto jackpot after buying their winning ticket at a Mobil gas station in Des Plaines. Another lucky player snagged a winning ticket for the Lotto Million 1 drawing on Feb. 17.
Lotto is an Illinois-only game that is played three times a week on Monday, Thursday, and Saturday. As well as the regular drawing, Lotto offers two additional drawings: Lotto Million 1 and Lotto Million 2. These are additional opportunities for players to match six numbers to win a $1 million prize.
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.
Lotto b-roll, produced by the Illinois Lottery, is available for the media; download here.
Playing the lottery should be a fun form of entertainment. Please remember to set a limit and stick to it. Be Smart, Play Smart®. Must be 18 or older to play. Game odds available at IllinoisLottery.com.
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.