CORTLAND, IL (Chambana Today) – A lucky player in Illinois hit the jackpot in last night’s drawing, winning an astonishing $344 million. The winning ticket, purchased at Casey’s General Store on 70 S. Somonauk Road in Cortland, Illinois, matched all five numbers and the Mega Ball, 1-5-17-39-62-8, to score the coveted top prize.
This marks the fourth Mega Millions jackpot won by an Illinois Lottery player in the past four years. Previous winners include a $552 million iLottery win in June 2024, a $1.34 billion jackpot in July 2022, and a $56 million prize in June 2021.
The retailer that sold the winning ticket will also see a cash bonus of $500,000 as a thank-you for being part of the lucky transaction.
In addition to the life-changing win, this victory provides significant benefits for the state of Illinois. Over $9 million will be returned to the Common School Fund to support K-12 education, thanks to nearly $24 million in Mega Millions ticket sales during this jackpot run.
The Illinois Lottery encourages all winners to sign the back of their ticket and store it safely. Winners have one year from the date of the winning draw to claim their prize. Mega Millions is drawn every Tuesday and Friday, with tickets priced at $2 each. Players can add the Megaplier for an additional $1 to multiply non-jackpot prizes.
