An Illinois woman known as “Lucky Lady” has claimed a $536 million Mega Millions prize after nearly missing her chance to play.
An Illinois woman known as “Lucky Lady” has officially claimed a $536 million Mega Millions jackpot after nearly missing her chance to play in the March 10 drawing.
The anonymous winner purchased her entry online through the Illinois Lottery’s iLottery platform. Her $536 million prize is the first Mega Millions jackpot claimed in 2026 and the second-largest prize ever won by an online lottery player in the United States.
The circumstances leading up to the win were almost as memorable as the prize itself.
“I didn’t even plan to play that day—I had actually tried to buy a ticket online a week earlier, but I forgot to finalize the purchase,” she said. “I even joked with my boss that day, saying, ‘It wasn’t meant to go through.’”
She decided to try again for the March 10 drawing, selecting a Quick Pick before reshuffling the numbers several times. She eventually settled on a combination that included her favourite number, 16.
“Once I saw my favorite number, 16, I stuck with it,” she said.
The final numbers, 16, 21, 30, 35 and 65, along with Mega Ball 7, matched the winning combination for the $536 million jackpot.
Even after receiving confirmation by email and a notification through the Illinois Lottery app, Lucky Lady said it took time for the reality of the prize to sink in.
“I couldn’t believe it. I was shaking and telling myself, ‘This can’t be real,’” she said. “I had my daughter call one of the claim centers to confirm, but it still feels unreal.”
The win is the fifth Mega Millions jackpot claimed by an Illinois Lottery player in nearly five years. It is also the second-largest online lottery prize ever won in the United States, behind a $552 million Mega Millions jackpot won by another Illinois Lottery player in June 2024.
For Lucky Lady, however, the significance of the $536 million prize is less about its place in the record books and more about what it could mean for her family.
She has long dreamed of buying a new family home with a swimming pool, while a family cruise or trip to Las Vegas could also be considered.
“I’ve always dreamed of buying a new family house with a swimming pool,” she said. “We’re also planning a family meeting soon, so a cruise or maybe even a trip to Vegas could definitely be on the table.”
What began with an almost-forgotten online purchase attempt has now given an Illinois family the opportunity to consider some long-held dreams on a much larger scale.
