CHICAGO (WGN) After more than a month of anticipation, the long-awaited mystery winner of the unclaimed $349 million Mega Millions jackpot from the March 25 drawing has come forward to claim their prize.
The Illinois Lottery announced early Wednesday morning that the prize had finally been claimed. The winning ticket was purchased at Casey’s General Store, in Cortland, which is west of Chicago and just east of DeKalb.
“We took a chance and bought a single ‘Quick Pick’ ticket,” the lucky winners, nicknamed “Blessed,” said in an Illinois Lottery news release. “We’re absolutely ecstatic and feel incredibly blessed.”
“We plan to use this money to do good. This unbelievable prize will truly be the gift that keeps on giving.”
According to the Illinois Lottery, this marks the fourth time an Illinois Lottery player has won a Mega Millions jackpot in about the last four years. That includes:
- An iLottery player who won $552 million in June 2024, the largest prize ever won by an online player in the U.S.
- A ticket bought at a gas station in Des Plaines in July 2022 that won a $1.34 billion Mega Millions jackpot, the largest lottery prize ever won in Illinois.
- A $56 million Mega Millions winning ticket purchased in June 2021 at a Citgo gas station in Crestwood.
Wednesday night’s Mega Millions jackpot, meanwhile, is an estimated $70 million.
