Huntley Resident Wins $325,000 in Lucky Day Lotto

 Huntley resident Bill Reining thinks he was in the right place at the right time after winning $325,000 in the April 26 Lucky Day Lotto drawing.

“I usually go to the fitness center in the morning, and then on my way home I stop at the store to get my Lucky Day Lotto quick pick ticket," Reining said. "On this day, for no reason, I went to the store first.”

Reining believes this change in his schedule may have led to his lottery windfall, according to an Illinois Lottery press release.

Later that day, Reining went to www.illinoislottery.com to check the winning Lucky Day Lotto numbers.  When he saw that his ticket matched all five numbers – 09 – 19 – 23 – 33 – 36 – he called to his wife Jackie, “We won! We won,”  the release said.

They plan to use their winnings to pay bills, invest, share with their three children and travel to Boston for their son’s college graduation. 

When asked if he had any advice for other Lottery players Reining responded, “If you win, sit back, take a deep breath, and invest your money so it works for you.”

Reining bought his winning ticket at located at 13280 S. Route 47 in Huntley.  The retailer received a $3,250 bonus, equal to 1 percent of the prize amount, for selling the winning ticket, according to the lottery officials.

“We’re thrilled that one of our regular customers won a Lucky Day Lotto jackpot prize. Everyone here has told Bill how happy we are for him,” store owner Jim Drendel said.

Jackpots for Lucky Day Lotto start at $100,000. Drawings are seven days a week with over 35,000 winners every day. The Lucky Day Lotto drawing takes place every night at 9:22 p.m. For more information, please visit www.illinoislottery.com.