Illinois Man Wins $1 Million With Birthday Lottery Ticket

An Illinois man got the ultimate birthday surprise when a lottery ticket gifted to him by a friend turned out to be worth $1 million.

Lottery Ticket Regret

Truth be told, I don't play the lottery because it infuriates me to spend money on the lottery when I never win. The only time I buy lottery tickets is to give to someone else, and then I instantly feel a little guilty for doing it.

Sure, receiving lottery tickets for your birthday or Christmas can be a fun surprise…if you win money. Otherwise, it's like saying: "Here, Happy Birthday. I hope you enjoy scratching these $5 pieces of cardboard.”

Thankfully, one Illinois man just proved that sometimes lottery icket gifts can be really, really good. (And now I won't feel as guilty the next time I buy some.)

Illinois Man Wins Big On Gifted Lottery Ticket

A Braidwood man celebrated his birthday with a story that sounds almost too good to be true: A friend handed him an envelope containing some lottery tickets at his birthday party, and one of those tickets turned out to be worth $1 million.

Now, here's where this story gets even better.

After scratching off the tickets, the man didn't realize he was a millionaire. He thought he had just won a thousand bucks.

According to the Illinois Lottery:

When the winner and his wife visited their local Illinois Lottery prize center, they received a life-changing surprise.
"We told the staff that I won a thousand dollars," he said. “One of the workers smiled and said ‘Sir, you actually won a million dollars.’ I was in complete shock. My wife even started tearing up.”

The winner, who chose to stay anonymous, has big plans for his lucky birthday windfall. He and his wife will be heading to Florida to visit relatives, buy a new car, a golf cart, and go on a cruise to celebrate their 40th anniversary and their kids' birthdays.

Honestly, this is exactly why I have mixed feelings about giving lottery tickets as gifts. Usually, you're handing someone a ticket and hoping they at least win enough to buy themselves a cup of coffee.

But imagine handing your friend a birthday envelope which is actually a million-dollar birthday present. Do you think the winner gave any of his winnings back to his friend as a thank you?