Illinois Lottery player wins $5.45M jackpot with Chicago ticket

Sam Singh, co-owner of Prestige Liquor in Chicago, was surprised to learn his store sold a winning $5,450,000 Lotto ticket. | Illinois Lottery

One Illinois Lottery player won $5.45 million, the second-largest Lotto jackpot prize this year, with a ticket bought in Chicago last week.

The winning ticket was purchased from Prestige Liquor, 345 N. Central Ave., in the Austin neighborhood for the March 28th drawing.

The ticket matched all six numbers in last week's drawing to clinch the jackpot prize. The winning numbers were 6-8-15-26-27-48.

Prestige Liquor will receive $54,500, one percent of the prize amount for selling the winning ticket.

"This was a great surprise," said Sam Singh, who co-owns Prestige Liquor with his wife, Gagandeep Kaur. "We see many customers throughout the day, so anyone could be the winner. We wish the winner so much joy in life."

Kaur said they will share part of the bonus with their "hardworking employees."

Over 55,000 winning tickets were sold in the March 28th Lotto drawing, officials said.

The largest Lotto jackpot prize won this year was worth $10.4 million. The winning ticket was sold in Park Ridge last February.

Winners have a one-year window from the draw date to claim their prize. The Illinois Lottery urges all winners to endorse their ticket and keep it in a secure location until they're prepared to collect their winnings.