East St. Louis Player Hits $14.6M Illinois Lotto Jackpot

East St. Louis Player Hits $14.6 Million Illinois Lotto Jackpot

An anonymous Illinois Lottery player just scored big, winning a $14.6 million Lotto jackpot—the largest prize in the state so far this year. The winning numbers? 5, 9, 14, 18, 22, and 23 from the August 25 drawing.

The lucky ticket was sold at Crown Mart in East St. Louis, which will pocket a $146,000 bonus for selling the winner’s ticket.

The winner, who chose to stay anonymous, shared their shock: “I checked the Illinois Lottery’s website and realized it was me. Of all the people, it was me! I cried because I was too shocked.”

Plans for the prize are just as exciting as the win itself. The winner intends to buy a new home, travel to Paris, purchase a Lexus, and most importantly, invest in their granddaughters’ education. “My granddaughters’ future is my priority, and I’m using this prize money to support their dreams,” they said.

This jackpot easily beats the previous record of $10.4 million awarded back in February. So far in 2025, Illinois Lotto players have won more than $47 million across 4.8 million tickets statewide.