Illinois Lottery player wins $650K after buying ticket from Chicago Mariano's: 'Still so shocked'

CHICAGO - An Illinois Lottery player is $650,000 richer!

The Chicago winner, who goes by the name Big Money D, revealed that his winning numbers were inspired by his late wife.

"I typically play Pick 4, but that day, I noticed that the Lucky Day Lotto jackpot was pretty high so I decided to switch it up and try something new," said Big Money D. "I picked numbers related to my late wife—when I won, it felt like it was a message from her." 

Big Money D purchased the ticket for the Nov. 16 evening drawing at Mariano's, located at 5201 N. Sheridan Road in Chicago’s Edgewater neighborhood.

Matching all five numbers—9, 11, 12, 13, and 17—he landed the $650,000 jackpot prize. 

The emotional win left him overwhelmed with joy.

"I’m still so shocked and excited about the win, I have barely been able to sleep!" said Big Money D.

The jackpot will allow Big Money D to fulfill a long-standing dream. 

"I’m already looking at houses, and can’t wait to purchase my dream home for myself and my kids—it truly is a dream come true," he said.

Mariano’s, the store where the winning ticket was purchased, will receive a $6,500 bonus, equal to one percent of the prize amount.

There were more than 27,600 winning Lucky Day Lotto tickets purchased for the Nov. 16 evening drawing, netting Illinois Lottery players over $724,000 in prizes.