Forgotten lottery ticket nets Berwyn man $100K

BERWYN, Ill. (WLS) -- Michael Gonzalez kept a $100,000 winning lottery ticket in his wallet for more than a month and didn't even know it.

"Two days after my birthday I bought a Lucky Day Lotto Quick Pick ticket, put it in my wallet and forgot all about it," he said.

The lucky Berwyn resident won the $100,000 jackpot prize when his ticket matched all five numbers - 03 - 14 - 18 - 39 - 43 - in the Saturday, September 20, in Lucky Day Lotto's midday drawing.

Gonzalez was at a store when he was going through his wallet and found the ticket. He asked the cashier to check it for him. As soon as the clerk told him it was a winning ticket, Gonzalez said he called his mom to tell her the news.

"Since I am always joking around, my mom wouldn't believe me. She kept calling me back asking me if I really won," he said.

Gonzalez, 23, is originally from Mexico and said he plans to use the windfall to buy a new home for his mother and sister. When asked if he had any advice for other lottery players he said, "Don't forget to check your tickets."

The winning ticket was purchased at Joe's Liquors, 6803 Ogden Avenue in Berwyn. The retailer will receive a $1,000 bonus, equal to 1 percent of the prize amount, for selling the winning ticket.

Lucky Day Lotto drawings are twice a day, seven days a week. For more information, visit www.illinoislottery.com.