Lottery player wins prize so big her cheeks become sore ‘from smiling so much’

When an Illinois lottery player received an email indicating she won a prize, she figured she simply won back the $2 she spent on the game.

The seven-figure prize that awaited her left her stunned, Illinois Lottery officials say.

The winner, who remained anonymous, won $1 million in the April 3 Lotto Million 1 drawing. She purchased the ticket through the Illinois Lottery app.

“I figured that I’d won back the $2 that I had spent on the ticket,” she told lottery officials in an April 10 news release. “And I did win back my two dollars… but imagine my surprise when I realized I’d also won $1 million, too!”

She matched the numbers 1-11-16-21-26-44 to win the top prize offered in the game.

The winner had her dad double-check her winnings. Then, she texted her best friend the good news.

“She texted me smiley-face emojis all day, which perfectly captured how I was feeling,” the winner said. “My cheeks have been sore from smiling so much!”

She said she plans to treat her family “to a nice vacation” — possibly to Egypt, a country her niece has been fascinated by.

This story was originally published April 10, 2025 at 8:37 AM with the headline "Lottery player wins prize so big her cheeks become sore ‘from smiling so much’."