ROCKFORD, Ill. (Chambana Today) – A festive season arrived early for one lucky Illinois Lottery player, who won a $500,000 top prize on a $10 Holiday Bucks scratch-off ticket. The anonymous winner, identified only as “Jessie,” was running errands at a Rockford Walmart when the life-changing moment happened.

“I was just trying to get in and out of Walmart quickly,” said Jessie. “I grabbed one of the new holiday-themed tickets on my way out and scratched the barcode. When I scanned it, the machine showed ‘$500,000’—I thought I was seeing things!”

Initially in disbelief, Jessie was convinced the machine was simply showing the potential prize, not the actual win. “I had to ask the clerk to double-check for me. I told her, ‘Don’t tell anyone!’ because I wasn’t sure it was real,” Jessie explained.

The winning ticket was purchased at the Walmart located at 3849 Northridge Drive in Rockford, where the Holiday Bucks scratch-offs have been flying off the shelves since their launch earlier this month.

For Jessie, the surprise win comes just in time to celebrate the holiday season. “It’s the best early gift I could ask for,” Jessie said, adding that they haven’t yet decided how to spend the windfall.