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Rockford Area Man Claims $1 Million Top Prize On Favorite $25 Scratch-Off

April 2nd, 2026


Photo caption: An Illinois Lottery winner celebrates with a ceremonial check after claiming a $1 million top prize on a scratch-off ticket.

CHICAGO, April 2, 2026 — A Rockford-area man is still in disbelief after winning a $1 million top prize on his favorite Illinois Lottery scratch-off, the $25 $1,000,000 Crossword 50X ticket.

The winner, who chose to remain anonymous, has been a fan of the crossword-style ticket for years.

“I like to slowly scratch off the words to reveal the prizes—it’s my absolute favorite game,” he said. “When I saw I had won, I had to do a double take—I simply couldn’t believe it.”

The winning ticket was purchased at Gas Depot, located at 4900 W. State St. in Rockford, where the winner scratched it off immediately inside the store. 

“I almost had a panic attack and thought I was seeing things,” he recalled. “I went straight back to the cashier to have the ticket scanned and confirm the win.”

The new millionaire plans to share part of his winnings with family and is also considering a new vehicle.

“I love to drive, so a performance car could be in my future,” he said with a smile.

Gas Depot, the retailer that sold the winning ticket, will receive a bonus of one percent of the prize—$10,000.

The Illinois Lottery currently offers a wide variety of Instant Ticket games priced from $1 to $50, available at nearly 7,000 retail locations across Illinois. 

Instant Tickets 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 $26 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.