CHICAGO, IL — Someone in Southern Illinois is celebrating a life-changing windfall after winning a $5.6 million jackpot in last night’s Lotto drawing.
The winning ticket was purchased at Royals Liquor, located at 1805 N. Belt West in Belleville, Illinois.
“I got a call early this morning from a customer saying we sold the winning jackpot ticket,” said Bhavik Patel, co-owner of the store. “At first, I thought it was a prank—it can be hard to believe something like that over the phone. I checked the Lottery’s website and was shocked to see our store listed as the retailer that sold the winning ticket.”
The ticket matched all six numbers—5, 18, 27, 33, 40, and 49—in the March 23 Lotto drawing, securing the $5.6 million prize.
“I’m still in shock but very excited that someone won that much money,” Patel added. “Customers are starting to hear that we sold the winning ticket, and I’m sure the store will be buzzing with excitement by the end of the day.”
As a reward for selling the winning ticket, Royals Liquor will receive a bonus of one percent of the jackpot prize.
This is the second-largest Illinois Lotto jackpot won so far this year, following an $11.6 million jackpot won on January 24. To date in 2026, nearly 1.5 million winning Lotto tickets have been sold, with players statewide claiming over $23.4 million in prizes.
Lotto is an Illinois-only game that is played three times a week on Monday, Thursday, and Saturday. Tickets for the game can be purchased in-store, online, or on the Illinois Lottery app. For more information or to buy tickets online, please visit IllinoisLottery.com
March is Problem Gambling Awareness Month. During March and throughout the year, the Illinois Lottery is committed to providing players with tools and resources to support positive play. If gambling has become a problem for you or someone you know, help and hope are here: call 1-800-GAMBLER.
About the Illinois Lottery
The Illinois Lottery, founded in 1974, has contributed over $26 billion to the State’s Common School Fund in support of K-12 public education in Illinois since 1985. The Common School Fund is the Illinois Lottery’s primary beneficiary, receiving nearly 99% of Illinois Lottery proceeds. The Illinois Lottery also supports various specialty causes as described in the Illinois Lottery Law (20 ILCS 1605/21.4). For more information about the Illinois Lottery and the causes we support, please visit IllinoisLottery.com.