One ticket matched all six numbers in the Hoosier Lotto® drawing on Wednesday, September 7^th with an estimated jackpot of $19.5 million. Ridgeway #5, a convenience store in Munster, sold the winning ticket for the game’s 89^th drawing since the previous jackpot was hit. Today, Manuel M. from the Chicago area came forward and claimed the prize with his family at the Hoosier Lottery Headquarters in downtown Indianapolis from Hoosier Lottery Executive Director Sarah M. Taylor. 

The winner, who worked more than 30 years at a plant in chemical operations and is now retired, did not realize he had the winning ticket for two days. He had returned to the convenience store where he had purchased the ticket a couple days earlier. The employees recognized him as a repeat customer who enjoys playing the Hoosier Lottery. Knowing the store had sold the winning ticket, they asked if he had checked his numbers. After that conversation he returned home, scanned the ticket with his Hoosier Lottery app, and realized he hit the jackpot.

“When I realized I won, I just could not believe it. I broke out into a sweat,” the winner recalled. “When it started sinking in, I started calling my sisters. We got together that night. There was screaming and crying. It probably took one half day to compose ourselves before we started talking it through.”

The winner has been playing Hoosier Lottery Draw games including Hoosier Lotto for more than 20 years, typically playing three or four times each week. The largest amount he had won previously was $5,000. On the day he won the Hoosier Lotto jackpot, he purchased one single ticket using Quick Pick.

His win is still sinking in. “I feel better today than I did a few days ago. Still, I am so excited and in disbelief.”

When asked about plans with the jackpot win, he said, “Before you win the lottery you are always thinking about what you would do if you won and who you would help. At this point, I have not processed next steps. In time, I will give back and take some well deserved vacation time.”

“It is so exciting when we can award these large jackpot amounts. This player enjoys playing Hoosier Lottery games and has a prior win on a Draw game,” said Hoosier Lottery Executive Director Sarah M. Taylor. “It’s nice to know this winner has enjoyed playing our fun and entertaining games for many years.”

The winning ticket was purchased at Ridgeway #5 located at 10 45^th Street in Munster. The winning Hoosier Lotto numbers for Wednesday, September 7 were: 3-5-8-18-31-40.

Eighty-nine Hoosier Lotto drawings have occurred since a $5 million jackpot was won back on October 30, 2021, in Franklin.

Hoosier Lotto jackpot odds are 1 in 9,366,819. Overall Odds are 1 in 6.