Aurora, IL – A forgotten lottery ticket tucked away in a drawer turned into a $1 million windfall for an Illinois Powerball player this month.
According to the Illinois Lottery, the winner — who asked to remain anonymous and used the name “Rex” — found an old ticket while cleaning and decided to check the numbers. The ticket, purchased at Joe’s Tobacco and Vape & Phone Repair Shop on West Galena Boulevard in Aurora, matched all five numbers in the September 3 Powerball drawing: 3-16-29-61-69.
“I usually play Lotto, but this time I found an old Powerball ticket in the drawer and figured I’d give those numbers another try,” Rex said. “The jackpot was over a billion dollars — I figured I wouldn’t get too many chances at that kind of money.”
Rex said it took a full day for the reality of the win to sink in. “I triple-checked my ticket and even scanned it at the store,” he recalled. “My blood pressure was through the roof!”
For selling the winning ticket, the Aurora retailer will receive a $10,000 bonus, equal to 1% of the prize amount.
Rex, a lifelong car enthusiast, plans to use the money to purchase a new vehicle and share gifts with loved ones. “I showed the winning ticket to my spouse, who couldn’t believe it and immediately said, ‘Wow, you actually won!’” he said.
So far in 2025, Illinois Lottery reports that eight players across the state have won $1 million or more playing Powerball. The next drawing is scheduled for Wednesday, September 24, at 9:59 p.m.
