CHICAGO — The Illinois Lottery announced Wednesday that the winner of the $536 million Mega Millions jackpot has officially come forward to claim their historic prize.
The winner, who chose to stay anonymous under the nickname ‘Lucky Lady,’ purchased her ticket online through the Illinois Lottery’s iLottery platform. This is the first Mega Millions jackpot to be claimed in 2026 and the second-largest prize ever won by an online lottery player in the United States.
The current record for the largest online lottery prize remains a $552 million Mega Millions jackpot won in June 2024 — also by an Illinois Lottery player.
“I didn’t even plan to play that day — I had actually tried to buy a ticket online a week earlier, but I forgot to finalize the purchase,” the winner said with a laugh. “I even joked with my boss that day, saying, ‘It wasn’t meant to go through.’”
When she decided to play again for the March 10 drawing, she selected a Quick Pick and reshuffled the numbers several times before settling on a set that included her favorite number.
“Once I saw my favorite number, 16, I stuck with it,” said the winner.
‘Lucky Lady’ matched all five numbers — 16, 21, 30, 35, 65 — and Mega Ball 7 to win the $536 million jackpot in the March 10 Mega Millions drawing.
Even after receiving the confirmation email and notification through the Illinois Lottery app, the reality of the win didn’t immediately sink in.
“I couldn’t believe it. I was shaking and telling myself, ‘This can’t be real,’” she said. “I had my daughter call one of the claim centers to confirm, but it still feels unreal.”
The historic win marks the fifth time an Illinois Lottery player has won the Mega Millions jackpot in nearly five years. ‘Lucky Lady’ said the life-changing prize will help make some long-held family dreams a reality.
“I’ve always dreamed of buying a new family house with a swimming pool,” she shared. “We’re also planning a family meeting soon, so a cruise or maybe even a trip to Vegas could definitely be on the table.”
In addition to the jackpot winner, the State of Illinois also benefited from the recent Mega Millions jackpot run. During the jackpot roll period that began on December 5, 2025, more than $34 million in ticket sales generated over $13 million for the Common School Fund to support K-12 education in Illinois.
Mega Millions is played every Tuesday and Friday night. Tickets are $5 each and include a randomly assigned multiplier that improves all winning non-jackpot prizes by 2X, 3X, 4X, 5X, or 10X. The jackpot for Friday night’s drawing is an estimated $50 million.