A Kewanee man won $1 million from a $5 instant lottery ticket

A Kewanee man got an early birthday surprise worth $1 million. Steve won the top prize on a $5 Illinois Lottery Onyx Instant Ticket bought at Beck’s North at 401 East 2nd Street in Kewanee. He says the win came just in time, calling it the best birthday gift he’s ever received. “This win came just in time,” said Steve. “I’ll tell you what—this is the best birthday gift I’ve ever gotten.”

“A few weeks ago, I was debating between two $5 tickets,” he recalled. “I picked one that didn’t win, but my coworker bought one of the other ones and won $10,000.”

“He asked me, ‘Will this one be the winner?’ I took that as a sign when I bought this $5 ticket— and that decision made me a millionaire.” “I was watching TV and scratching the ticket with one of those vintage coins,” he said. “I told myself, ‘This will be my lucky token today’—and it sure was.” After scratching the ticket with a vintage coin, he then confirmed the prize on the Illinois Lottery app.

Steve says his plans include several home improvement projects, including building a new garage and possibly buying another car. “But most importantly,” he said, “I’m looking forward to spending more time in Arizona during the winter. My son lives there, so it’ll be great to visit him more often.”

The retailer that sold the winning ticket will receive a $10,000 bonus, equal to one percent of the prize. Lottery officials say nearly 33 million winning instant tickets have been sold statewide this year, with more than $897 million claimed in prizes. Players must be 18 or older.