Holiday detour wasn't so bad after all
By Kate Northrop
VANDALIA, Ill. — The right circumstances brewed the perfect storm for one Illinois woman to win $3 million in the lottery, resulting in a last-minute change that ultimately led to the win.
An Illinois woman was intending to visit a retailer to buy some lottery tickets, but a decision to visit a different store landed her in a spot to win a $3 million lottery prize.
The winner, who opted to remain anonymous, was visiting her hometown of Vandalia for the holidays. She originally planned to buy a lottery ticket at a retailer on Christmas Eve but saw that the store was closed for the holiday.
"I was going to stop at another gas station, but it was closed for Christmas Eve," the Vandalia resident explained. "Phillips was the only place open, so I decided to go there instead."
She visited Phillips 66 on Veterans Avenue in Vandalia and purchased several scratch-off tickets, some for herself, and others for her son and mother.
"I kept the $30 ticket for myself," she told the Illinois Lottery. "I really liked the design."
The ticket she kept was from the $30 "Royal Riches" instant game, a glimmering, metallic gold ticket that offers a $3 million top prize.
"When I scanned the ticket at the store, I honestly thought the machine was broken, until I realized I had won $3 million," the winner recalled.
The lucky lottery player entered the new year as a newly minted millionaire with the winning ticket still in her possession. When she visited the Lottery to claim her prize, she told Lottery officials that she'll use part of it to support her family and save the rest for retirement. She also runs a cleaning business and doesn't intend on slowing down.
"I don't plan on quitting," she said to Lottery staff with a smile. "I'll take a family vacation, but I'm still working."
For selling the winning ticket, the retailer received a $30,000 bonus from the Lottery, equivalent to one percent of the prize amount.
This marks the first top prize win of $3 million in the $30 "Royal Riches" scratch-off game, which launched in November 2025. There are also six out of eight second-tier prizes of $100,000 and 20 out of 24 third-tier prizes of $10,000 left to claim.
The overall odds of winning any prize in the game are 1 in 3.35.
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You just never know when Lady Luck will strike. She could've just drove home and thankfully she went to the Phillips station for the big win!
So late in the year cashing it in this year smart move!
That's a nice story, glad she listened to herself.
"I don't plan on quitting," she said to Lottery staff with a smile. "I'll take a family vacation, but I'm still working."
That's a smart move - after all the taxes are out and given that the winner looks young (my assumption) the balance of the money may not fund a retirement right away, maybe lesser hours and more time with family.
Congratulations 🎉 on the win.
Good for her.
led to a win holy beans I did same thing no winner holy beans