Lottery player wins prize so big her cheeks become sore ‘from smiling so much'

Miami Herald

10-04-2025

When an Illinois lottery player received an email indicating she won a prize, she figured she simply won back the $2 she spent on the game.
The seven-figure prize that awaited her left her stunned, Illinois Lottery officials say.
The winner, who remained anonymous, won $1 million in the April 3 Lotto Million 1 drawing. She purchased the ticket through the Illinois Lottery app.
'I figured that I'd won back the $2 that I had spent on the ticket,' she told lottery officials in an April 10 news release. 'And I did win back my two dollars… but imagine my surprise when I realized I'd also won $1 million, too!'
She matched the numbers 1-11-16-21-26-44 to win the top prize offered in the game.
The winner had her dad double-check her winnings. Then, she texted her best friend the good news.
'She texted me smiley-face emojis all day, which perfectly captured how I was feeling,' the winner said. 'My cheeks have been sore from smiling so much!'
She said she plans to treat her family 'to a nice vacation' — possibly to Egypt, a country her niece has been fascinated by.