Illinois Mother Wins $800,000 Lucky Day Lotto Jackpot Using Children's Birthdays

Photo caption: An Illinois Lottery player, nicknamed ‘Jenny,’ takes her celebratory photo after winning $800,000 playing Lucky Day Lotto.

CHICAGO, March 26, 2026 — An Illinois iLottery player is celebrating a big win after a casual at-home play landed her an $800,000 Lucky Day Lotto^® jackpot.

The winner, who chose to remain anonymous under the name ‘Jenny,’ purchased her winning ticket using a meaningful set of numbers—her children’s birthdays. 

“My usual numbers are always a combination of my birthday and my kids’ birthdays,” Jenny said. “I was in complete shock when I saw I had won.”

She added with a laugh, “My reaction must have startled my daughter— she ran to get my husband to check on me.”

Jenny’s ticket matched all five numbers— 8-11-15-23, and 37— in the March 13 Lucky Day Lotto drawing, securing the $800,000 top prize.

“Something magical happened that day,” she said. “Everything changed when I played Lucky Day Lotto at home.”

Jenny plans to use her winnings to support her children’s future, particularly their education. 

“This prize is a tremendous blessing that will help secure their academic pursuits,” she said. “We’re so grateful for their lucky numbers, and we plan to celebrate with a fun family vacation.” 

Already this year, more than 2.7 million winning Lucky Day Lotto tickets have been sold, with players statewide claiming nearly $16 million in prizes. 

Lucky Day Lotto is an Illinois-only draw game with two daily drawings at 12:40 p.m. and 9:22 p.m., and jackpots starting at $100,000. Tickets are available in-store, online, and via the Illinois Lottery app.

Lucky Day Lotto b-roll, available for use by the media; download here.

March is Problem Gambling Awareness Month. The Illinois Lottery encourages players to learn more about how to keep the Lottery as a fun form of entertainment by visiting the responsible gaming pages on the Illinois Lottery website: Illinois Lottery Responsible Gaming.