Kaelin, of Chicago, won $276,000 by winning three times on the same lottery game in three weeks.
"I never expected to win - especially not three times!" Kaelin said in a press release.
The first time he won, Kaelin was on his lunch break when he scratched off a $250,000 Crossword ticket and won $25,000.
"My fiancé and I were so thrilled that I won $25,000, we went out for dinner to celebrate," Kaelin said. "When we stopped at a gas station afterward, I decided to buy another Crossword instant ticket and won $1,000!"
Kaelin said he bought his third ticket a week later from the same store where he won his original prize. After scratching off the ticket with a key, he discovered he had won again.
Kaelin rushed to the Illinois Lottery Prize Center, where he noticed that he had won more than he expected.
"I was in the elevator when I took another look at my ticket and noticed I had the tenth word," Kaelin said. "The prize wasn't $25,000 -- it was $250,000! I was shocked!"
Kaelin, 24, said he plans to use the winnings to buy a house, pay off his student loans and pay for his wedding next spring.
