Southern Illinois man wins $1M from scratch-off ticket bought at Circle K

MOUNT VERNON, Ill. — A man from southern Illinois has won $1 million from a scratch-off lottery ticket.

The Illinois Lottery Instant Ticket, $10 Million, was purchased at Circle K gas station and convenience store, located at 1710 S. 10th Street in Mount Vernon.

“My girlfriend scratched the ticket and kept on staring at it and saying, ‘This can’t be right, this can’t be right’ – so I took a look and then ended up saying the same thing,” laughed the winner, who has requested to remain anonymous. “Once it sank in that we had won $1 million, we were both dumbfounded and happy at the same time – a moment we will never forget.”

With his winnings, the man said he plans to “Fulfill our dream and buy a new house, give a little love to my family and hopefully retire a little earlier.”

For selling the ticket, the Circle K will receive a selling bonus of $10,000, which is one percent of the prize amount.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WGN-TV.