Quirky Illinois Lottery Facts and Trivia

Illinois Lottery

Here are some fried facts (fun, quirky, and little-known tidbits) about the Illinois Lottery:

🎟️ 1. First Lottery Ticket Sold Was… a Loser?

The very first Illinois Lottery ticket was sold on July 29, 1974, at a Rockford gas station. Unfortunately for the buyer, it didn’t win the inaugural draw.

💰 2. The Biggest Illinois Lotto Winner Took Home $218M

The largest single-ticket jackpot in Illinois history was
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218.6million∗∗(July2018,Lottogame).Thewinnerchosethelump−sumpayoutof∗∗127 million before taxes.

🍕 3. Lottery-Funded Pizza?

A portion of Illinois Lottery proceeds goes to education funding, including public schools and capital projects. Since 1985, over $23 billion has been contributed!

🏀 4. Michael Jordan’s Lucky (or Unlucky) Lottery Connection

In 1993, Michael Jordan was spotted buying $20,000 worth of scratch-offs in a single day. Did he win big? Reports say he lost most of it—proving even legends aren’t always lucky.

🎰 5. Illinois Had a Video Lottery Before It Was Cool

Before video gaming terminals (VGTs) were legalized in bars, Illinois briefly experimented with video lottery machines in the 1980s, but they were shut down due to legal issues.

🚗 6. A Lottery Winner Used His Prize to Buy… a Hearse?

One Illinois winner, Steven White, won $4.85 million in 2008 and bought a hearse because he thought it was 'cool.' He later regretted it and switched to a Porsche.

🎫 7. The Lottery Once Had a 'Billion Dollar Bill' Scratch-Off

In 2015, Illinois launched a
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30scratch−off∗∗calledthe∗∗'BillionDollarBill'∗∗—themostexpensiveticketatthetime,withatopprizeof∗∗2 million.

🍀 8. Some Winners Stay Secret Forever

Unlike some states, Illinois allows winners to remain anonymous if prizes are under $250,000. Bigger winners can claim via a trust to stay private.

🤯 9. A Man Won $1M… Twice in 3 Months!

In 2011, Ronald Hahn won
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1million∗∗onascratch−off—then∗∗wonanother1 million just three months later!

🎭 10. The Lottery Once Had a 'Monopoly' Game (Not Monopoly)

In the 2000s, Illinois had a 'Monopoly' themed scratch-off—but had to rename it 'Monopoly Doubler' due to copyright issues.

Would you play the Illinois Lottery after these facts? Or do you think luck’s not on your side? 😆🍀

Quirky Illinois Lottery Facts and Trivia

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