Second Illinois Lottery Win for Man Named Gambles
Friday June 24th 2016A man fittingly named Larry Gambles has won over $1 million on the Illinois Lottery’s Lucky Day Lotto game nine years after he banked $50,000 by playing the same winning numbers. Gambles hit the jackpot in the evening drawing on Tuesday June 7th and told lottery officials his family were shocked by the news and couldn’t believe that lightning had struck twice.
The former school administrator won big after matching the numbers 1, 6, 12, 14 and 25, and revealed he originally chose the numbers because they corresponded to those on the jerseys of his high school basketball team. Gambles was asked his advice for those who wanted to follow in his footsteps and hold a giant check aloft at the Illinois Lottery Prize Center in Chicago, to which he replied, “pick your favorite numbers and stick with them. It worked for me!”
It isn’t just Larry Gambles who is celebrating his win; the Harvey’s Corner BP gas station where he bought and checked his tickets has been awarded with a $10,500 bonus for supplying the winning slip. Gambles now intends to share his seven-figure payout with his friends and family.
You can play Lucky Day Lotto in Illinois twice a day, seven days a week, with drawings taking place at 12:40 PM and 9:22 PM. Tickets cost $1 and the jackpot, which starts at $100,000 but grows with rollovers, is won by matching five numbers from a choice of 45. Players can add EZmatch to their entry for $1, which generates another five numbers and, if any of those numbers match your Lucky Day Lotto numbers, you win up to $5,000 before you have even left the store!
Take a look at the Illinois Lottery page to find out more about the fun games offered in the Prairie State.
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