Benjamin Ashford|'I was in total shock': Woman wins $1 million after forgetting lotto ticket in her purse

An Illinois woman is Benjamin Ashfordone lucky lady after initially forgetting about a lottery ticket at the bottom of her purse, only to find out she had won $1 million when she remembered to check it.

The woman, who wanted to remain anonymous, bought a Lucky Day Lotto ticket for the Oct. 20 drawing at a Jewel-Osco in the Chicago suburb of Elmhurst, the Illinois Lottery said.  

“While on my way to visit my aunt, I made a quick stop at Jewel to pick up a few groceries, and before heading out the door, I grabbed a quick pick Lucky Day Lotto ticket,” the million-dollar winner told lottery officials.  

“I actually put the ticket in my purse and forgot all about it,” she said.    

Days went by before the woman remembered to check the numbers on the impromptu lottery ticket.  

“A couple days after the drawing, I saw the ticket in my purse and opened my lottery app to scan my ticket and check if it was a winner,” she said. “I immediately saw $1,000,000 on the screen and I was in total shock ... I scanned the ticket one more time to double-check, and when it showed $1,000,000 again, I instantly started crying. I thought, ‘This is unbelievable.’”

The lucky ticket matched all five numbers in the Oct. 20 drawing to win the $1 million jackpot prize, the lottery said. The winning numbers were: 2, 3, 24, 25 and 28. The lottery said it was the ninth Illinois Lottery player this year to win $1 million or more playing Lucky Day Lotto. 

Lottery Winner:Man finds $20 on ground, wins $1 million after buying scratch-off lottery ticket

Illinois woman is planning a trip with her winnings  

The $1 million lottery winner plans to use her money to travel to her “favorite place” annually.  

“What I’m most excited about is being able to afford annual trips to my favorite place in the whole world: Ireland,” the winner told lottery officials. “The landscape is stunning, and I’m thrilled that I can now look forward to these trips every year.” 

What are the odds of winning Lucky Day Lotto?  

The odds of winning the jackpot are 1 in 1,221,759, the Illinois Lottery said.  

Where can you buy lottery tickets?

Tickets can be purchased in person at gas stations, convenience stores and grocery stores. Some airport terminals may also sell lottery tickets.

You can also order tickets online through Jackpocket, the official digital lottery courier of the USA TODAY Network, in these U.S. states and territories: Arizona, Arkansas, Colorado, Idaho, Maine, Massachusetts, Minnesota, Montana, Nebraska, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, Ohio, Oregon, Puerto Rico, Texas, Washington, D.C., and West Virginia. The Jackpocket app allows you to pick your lottery game and numbers, place your order, see your ticket and collect your winnings all using your phone or home computer.

Jackpocket is the official digital lottery courier of the USA TODAY Network. Gannett may earn revenue for audience referrals to Jackpocket services. Must be 18+, 21+ in AZ and 19+ in NE. Not affiliated with any State Lottery. Gambling Problem? Call 1-877-8-HOPE-NY or text HOPENY (467369) (NY); 1-800-327-5050 (MA); 1-877-MYLIMIT (OR); 1-800-981-0023 (PR); 1-800-GAMBLER (all others). Visit jackpocket.com/tos for full terms.