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Latin Times
Latin Times
M.B. Mack

An Illinois Man Got Mad After a Broken Lottery Machine Forced Him to Buy a Different Ticket. That Ticket Won Him Over $9 Million

Numbers on tickets for the Mega Millions lottery are selected by a purchaser in Los Angeles, California, on August 4, 2023. The sixth-largest jackpot in US history is up for grabs tonight after no tickets have been sold with all six numbers in the multi-state Mega Millions game for 30 consecutive draws. (Credit: FREDERIC J. BROWN/AFP via Getty Images)

A man shopping for groceries in Illinois won a multi-million dollar jackpot after a broken vending machine forced him to buy a different ticket than he intended, according to a report.

The incident happened at a Jewel-Osco store in Addison, Illinois, where the unnamed winner decided to play the lottery on his way out.

Frustrated that the vending machine was stuck on a different lotto game, the man decided to adjust his plans.

"It was a normal day, just like any other. I was picking up groceries at Jewel and on my way out the door, I decided to buy a lottery ticket," the winner told WGNTV News. "I actually wanted to buy a ticket for a different game and the machine got stuck on Lotto. I was a bit frustrated. I said, 'What is going on? The machine won't give me the right game!' So I decided I may as well buy the Lotto ticket."

On August 24, his ticket matched all six numbers drawn, securing him a $9.2 million cash prize. The jackpot is the second-largest won in Illinois this year, following a $10.4 million prize in February.

"The morning after the drawing, I scanned the ticket at a machine to check if it was a winner. When the machine showed the $9.2 million prize amount, I couldn't believe it!," shared the winner. "I looked at my wife and she was completely speechless. We are laughing over how angry I was at the broken machine – and we're so grateful for how it all turned out."

The store that sold the ticket will receive a $92,000 bonus for being the retailer of the winning ticket.

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