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Last week brought a run of standout wins across the US, with four players landing major payouts in four different states. From Ohio, Illinois, California and North Carolina, each winner has an unusual story behind the result. In this article, we break down each of these wins.
Ohio winner credits sparrow for lottery win
An Akron, Ohio, man is now $879,000 richer, and he credits an unusual visitor for pointing him in the right direction.
The week before his win, the man was eating lunch in his parked car when a sparrow flew inside and settled on the passenger-side floor. The moment stuck with him. He felt it meant something, though he was not sure what.
The following week, he stopped at Carnegie Pantry on Carnegie Avenue in Akron and bought three “Set For Life” scratch-off tickets. He put them in his wallet and headed back to work.
That evening, he scratched the first ticket and didn’t win anything. The second ticket was different. He saw the word “Life” printed on it and scanned it through the Ohio Lottery’s My Lotto Rewards app. The screen showed a $120,000 prize. He called his wife immediately, and the two celebrated what they believed was the biggest win of their lives.
But the real number was far larger.
Later that night, his wife called back and asked whether he had read the ticket closely. He had not. The $120,000 figure was not a one-time payment. It was an annual amount structured as $10,000 monthly over 20 years, totaling $2.4 million.
He later opted for a one-time cash payout of $1.2 million. After state and federal tax deductions, he took home $879,000. He and his wife have not yet decided how to use the money.
As originally reported by WKYC Studios, “Set For Life” tickets cost $10 each. As of April 27, one top prize of $2.4 million remains unclaimed in the game, along with six $50,000 prizes and eight $10,000 prizes.
Second ticket delivers $1M birthday surprise
A DuPage County man in suburban Chicago also had reason to celebrate last week after claiming a $1 million top prize through an Illinois Lottery scratch ticket.
The winner, who asked to be identified only as “Lucky,” bought his ticket at a Mobil gas station on Roosevelt Road in Lombard — a stop he makes regularly. He first bought a ticket that did not win. Rather than walking away, he tried again. He scratched the second ticket during a work break and won the top prize.
“I celebrated my birthday just a few weeks ago,” he said, “so this feels like the perfect gift.”
Lucky has clear plans for the money. He intends to invest in his family’s future, purchase a new home, update his wardrobe and donate part of the winnings to a local hospital.
Fox 32 reported that the Mobil gas station where the winning $50 Millionaire Club ticket was purchased is also entitled to a $10,000 bonus. Under Illinois Lottery rules, retailers receive 1% of the top prize when they sell a winning ticket.
Record slot jackpot hits California casino
A gambler named Tammy O. made history at Sky River Casino in Elk Grove, California, on Thursday, April 23. She won $1,099,735 on a slot game — the largest single-slot jackpot payout in the casino’s history.
Tammy hit the record-breaking figure while playing the Wheel of Fortune Cash Link Big Money slot machine. The casino confirmed the win in a Facebook post, describing it as the biggest slot jackpot it has ever recorded.
According to Fox 40’s original report, the casino also announced plans to break ground on a new international-style hotel resort, expected to open in late 2027.
Fast Play Jackpot sets record in North Carolina
In Cary, North Carolina, Montfort Faulkner did not realize on Feb. 3 that a quick stop at a Publix grocery store would eventually make lottery history.
Faulkner bought a $20 Jackpot 777 Fast Play ticket at a Publix store along Kildaire Farm Road. At the time of his purchase, the Fast Play jackpot stood at $1,378,846. Because he bought a $20 ticket, he qualified for the full jackpot amount plus an additional $200,000, bringing his total prize to $1,578,846.
That figure makes Faulkner the largest jackpot winner in the Fast Play category under the North Carolina Education Lottery. He collected his winnings last Friday at lottery headquarters. After state and federal taxes were deducted, his final payout was $1,136,933.
As reported by the NC Education Lottery, the Fast Play format works differently from standard scratch-offs. Its jackpot grows with every ticket sold until someone wins it, then resets and starts climbing again.
Faulkner’s story, like the three before it, began with a routine decision that led to an extraordinary outcome: four states, four winners and no shortage of proof that sometimes the biggest moments arrive on the most ordinary days.
