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CHICAGO — The New Year has brought a windfall of fortune to an Illinois lottery player, who recently snagged the first Mega Millions jackpot of the year, and she is already mapping out how to use her newfound wealth.
The Illinois Lottery reports that this fortunate individual, opting to remain nameless, successfully matched all six numbers in the March 10th draw, including the crucial Mega Ball, securing a staggering $536 million prize.
The numbers that turned her life upside down were 16, 21, 30, 35, 65, and the Mega Ball, 7.
This incredible win left the lucky winner in a state of disbelief. She recounted the moment she learned of her colossal prize, overwhelmed with excitement and skepticism.
“I couldn’t believe it. I was shaking and telling myself, ‘This can’t be real,’” she shared. “I had my daughter call one of the claim centers to confirm, but it still feels unreal.”
But the big win almost didn’t happen, as the jackpot winner actually meant to purchase the ticket the week before, but forgot.
“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,” the winner said. “I even joked with my boss that day, saying, ‘It wasn’t meant to go through.’”
Officials said the winner then decided to play again for the March 10 drawing. She selected a Quick Pick and reshuffled the numbers several times before settling on a set that included her favorite number.
“Once I saw my favorite number, 16, I stuck with it,” the winner said.
Now the lucky player has to decide how to spend the winnings, and she already has big plans in mind.
“I’ve always dreamed of buying a new family house with a swimming pool,” she shared. “We’re also planning a family meeting soon, so a cruise or maybe even a trip to Vegas could definitely be on the table.”
According to TaxAct’s Lottery Tax Calculator, Tuesday’s big winner will walk away with around $380,828,000, which equals out to about $128,640,000 in federal taxes and about $26,532,000 in state taxes.
The winning ticket, which was purchased online, was the first Mega Millions jackpot to be claimed in 2026 and the second-largest prize ever won by an online lottery player in the United States.
The massive win marks just the fifth time an Illinois Lottery player has won the Mega Millions jackpot in nearly five years.
Mega Millions is a multi-state lottery game that draws twice a week on Tuesday and Friday evenings at 10 p.m. Tickets can be purchased in-store, online, or on the Illinois Lottery app.
Mega Millions costs $5 per game and players have a 1 in 35 chance of winning a prize, but jackpot odds are much higher at 1 in 290,472,336.
Illinois Lottery winners have one year from the date of winning to claim their prizes and lottery officials advise players to write their names on the backs of winning tickets and keep them in a safe place until they are ready to claim their prizes.