Claudia of Chicago, poses with her winning ticket after claiming a $400,000 top prize on a $5 Illinois Lottery instant ticket | Courtesy of the Illinois Lottery
CHICAGO - A Chicago mother of three won a $400,000 prize with a $5 scratch-off lottery ticket purchased in the Gage Park neighborhood.
Illinois Lottery winner
The winning In The Money Instant Ticket was bought from convenience store California Enterprises at 2800 W. 55th Street.
What they're saying:
"I thought I was losing my mind—I lost track of how many times I checked the results," the winner Claudia told the Illinois Lottery. "I immediately told my mom and sister. They said, ‘No way, you’re playing with us.’ I told them, ‘Well, I’ve already scanned this thing a million times today—let's make it a million and one."
Claudia said she plans to use her winnings to invest in her children's education and treat them to a back-to-school shopping spree.
The retailer will receive a $4,000 bonus for selling the winning ticket.
By the numbers:
Nearly 37 million winning Instant Tickets have been sold this year, totaling over $1 billion in prizes.
The Source: The information in this report came from the Illinois Lottery.