Man turns $20 into $2M after purchasing scratch-off ticket at Shorewood gas station
A man is celebrating after winning $2 million after purchasing a scratch-off ticket at a gas station in Shorewood, Illinois.
The player, nicknamed "Classic Car Collector," purchased a $20 Mega Bucks ticket at Lenny's Gas N Wash at 1201 W. Jefferson Street. Shorewood is a suburb about 45 miles southwest of Chicago.
The player said he was on his way to work when he stopped at the gas station to buy coffee and decided to buy the ticket at the checkout counter. The ticket's purple color displayed on the screen, and he decided to buy it.
He was in shock after scratching the ticket inside his car.
"As more and more zeroes started to appear, and then the final $2,000,000, I just couldn't believe it. I kept staring at the ticket, thinking, there's no way… this can't be real," he said. "I went back into the store and scanned the ticket just to be sure."
The player said even his wife didn't believe him at first.
"My first thought was, 'I've got to get home and tell my wife!' But when I did, she looked at me like I was nuts! I kept saying, 'I just won two million dollars!' and at one point I thought she was going to faint."
Lottery officials said the player won the top prize on the new game launched on April 1.
What does he plan to do with his winnings?
"Collecting classic cars has been a longtime hobby of mine – I've been fortunate enough to own a few over the years. I like working on them, but even more, I love driving them. With this win, I'd like to buy a few acres of land, add another beauty to my collection, and store it there for whenever I want to take a joyride," he said.
The gas station will receive a bonus of $20,000 for selling the ticket. In December 2023, the station also sold a Mega Millions ticket worth $2 million.
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