A Northwest Chicagoland woman won $1 million with a second-choice scratch-off ticket in South Elgin, Illinois, after her original selection was sold out.
A Northwest Chicagoland woman has a very different reason to remember an ordinary trip to a South Elgin, Illinois, store after a second-choice scratch-off ticket turned into a $1 million prize.
The winner, who is remaining anonymous under the name “Rosalina Galaxy,” said she had originally intended to purchase a different ticket, but it was sold out. She instead chose the ticket next to it, having played that particular game before.
“I originally wanted a different ticket, but it was out of stock,” she said. “So I picked the one next to it, since I’ve played it before.”
She purchased the winning ticket at the Speedway at 1775 N. Lafox St. in South Elgin and scratched it in the store’s parking lot.
The discovery did not immediately feel real. As she looked at the ticket, she repeatedly questioned whether she was reading it correctly.
“I kept asking myself, ‘Am I reading this correctly?’” she recalled. “I was in complete shock—I couldn’t believe it. It felt like destiny.”
The Northwest Chicagoland resident then shared the news with her family, who were also stunned by the unexpected result. She said the reality of the $1 million prize has yet to fully sink in for either her or her husband.
“It still hasn’t sunk in that I’ve won—and I don’t think it has for my husband either,” she said with a laugh.
With the unexpected money now opening up new possibilities, the couple is already thinking about how they would like to celebrate. Both are huge Nintendo fans and are considering a trip to Nintendo World in Florida, along with the possibility of taking a tropical cruise.
The couple is also considering a new home, giving the South Elgin resident’s unexpected second choice a lasting impact on what comes next for their family.
