Illinois father of five scoops $550K lottery prize

• A father of five has won $550,000 from the Lucky Day Lotto game in Illinois
• The father will now use the money to give his children "every opportunity" to thrive
• He was incredulous at first, finding out that he had won the life-changing amount

A father of five has won a potentially life-altering amount of money in Illinois, with Matthew of Crystal Lake scooping up the grand prize of $550,000.

Opting for the iLottery and playing from home, Matthew was able to win the Lucky Day Lotto jackpot and is set to completely turn his life around.

Illinois father to turn his life around with $550K win

Matthew, who plays the lottery frequently, did not put too much thought into his winning numbers selection. In fact, he was happy to let the algorithm do it for him, understanding the random nature of lottery games.

His numbers, 2, 6, 16, 24, and 39 secured the win on September 10, and he has finally stepped up to claim the prize and offer some insight into how his win came to be. Naturally, the winner was incredulous at his good fortune.

"I couldn't believe my eyes. I was just at home, staring at the draw results on the app. It took a few minutes to sink in that I'd actually won," Matthew added, celebrating the win. He recounted telling his wife the news, and at first, she couldn’t believe it either.

There was a long moment where they both paused before she burst out: "Are you serious?" The money is a godsend for the family, as the parents will be able to fund their kids’ upbringing and allocate a fair bit towards their children's education as well.

"First and foremost, this is for our kids — to give them every opportunity to thrive. We've always dreamed of a warm family vacation by the ocean, and now that dream can finally come true," Matthew said.

Just a couple of days ago, the Illinois Lottery also confirmed that it had sold a $2-million winning ticket for a Powerball draw. The shop owner was pleased with the news, as well as the customary premium payable to the venue for selling the ticket.

No information about the winner of the seven-figure prize has been made public so far.

Image credit: Illinois Lottery