Illinois Winner May Soon Lose a $250K Gas Station Prize

The clock is ticking for a winner in Illinois who seems to be unaware that there is a $250K prize with their name on it. If not claimed soon, this huge prize will be forfeited.

According to the Illinois Lottery, someone stopped by this gas station last November and picked up a Lucky Day Lotto ticket

Illinois Winner May Soon Lose a $250K Gas Station Prize

This is the BP station located at 10302 S Torrence Avenue in Chicago. According to the Illinois Lottery's Unclaimed Prizes site, someone picked up a Lucky Day Lotto ticket here on November 7, 2025. It's now worth $250,000. The problem is that lottery tickets purchased in Illinois are only valid for 12 months from the date of purchase which means this winner of a quarter million dollars has barely a month left as of this writing to claim it by November 6, 2026.

How much is a $250,000 Illinois Lottery prize worth after taxes?

Online lottery tax estimators say this is the approximate tax hit and take home from a $250K prize in Illinois:

• Federal Withholding (24%): $60,000
• Illinois State Tax (4.95%): $12,375
• Total Withheld: $72,375
• Immediate Net Payout: $177,625

Yes, that's a huge tax bill, but more than $177K is a fun payday that happens unexpectedly. I don't know anyone who would say no to that. However, if the person with the winning ticket doesn't come forward soon, this money will go back into the Illinois state funds. That would be a crying shame for someone. Is it you?