An Illinois woman is unwrapping the new year with an extra dose of holiday cheer after claiming a $350,000 jackpot in the Christmas Day drawing of the Lucky Day Lotto.
State lottery officials announced Wednesday that the winner, who opted to remain anonymous, collecting her earnings under the nickname “Work Mom.”
“Everyone at my job calls me ‘Work Mom’ since I’m the oldest,” the winner said.
The lucky winner purchased her ticket online and personally selected the five correct numbers — 4-10-12-30-31 — to secure the $350,000 jackpot on the December 25 drawing.
She said that she was at home watching TV when an email alert informed her of the win.
“At first, I thought it was a glitch,” she said. “I almost had a panic attack—I immediately checked the Illinois Lottery app to make sure it was real.”
The winning numbers also held personal meaning, representing the birthdays of the winner and her kids, she said.
“It turned out to be a Christmas Day blessing,” the woman said.
With her winnings, the mother plans to invest in retirement, support her daughters’ education, and take a long-anticipated family vacation at the top of her husband’s wish-list.
“We’re going to Alaska,” she told the organization.
Lucky Day Lotto is an Illinois-only draw game with two daily drawings and jackpots that start at $100,000. Tickets cost $1, with a 1-in-12 chance of winning any prize and jackpot odds of 1 in 1.22 million, according to Lottery USA.
Winners have one year to claim prizes and are advised to sign and safely store winning tickets. Tickets can be purchased in stores, online and through the Illinois Lottery app.
Since 1985, the Illinois Lottery has contributed more than $25 billion to the state’s Common School Fund, which receives nearly all lottery proceeds to support K-12 public education, along with other specialty causes.
The Illinois Lottery used “Work Mom’s” winnings to remind players to “play for fun, not funds” and encouraged responsible play.
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