Chicago-area best friends land $500K jackpot with iLottery game

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Joseph and Bryan of Downers Grove, Illinois are all smiles after winning the $518,309 jackpot playing FastPlay Twenty 20s | Provided by the Illinois Lottery

DOWNERS GROVE, Ill. - Two local best friends took home a $518, 309 jackpot after winning an iLottery game.

Joseph and Bryan from Downers Grove said they often play lottery games with a larger group of neighbors, but on this particular night they played as a duo and decided to focus on higher-jackpot games.

What they're saying:

"We were being intentional about the games we chose that night," Bryan told the Illinois Lottery. "When the winning message popped up, it took a second to sink in. We just stared at each other, shocked and in disbelief."

Bryan said the timing of the win is especially meaningful because it will help him prepare for his daughter’s future college expenses. Joseph, meanwhile, recently retired after a 22-year career and said the prize gives him flexibility as he enters a new chapter of life.

By the numbers:

So far this year, over 142,000 winning tickets have been purchased for the FastPlay Twenty 20s game, totaling nearly $7.3 million in prizes.