Illinois

Chicago Woman Wins $250K From Her First-Ever Lottery Ticket

La Ongkwan Pinyapap instantly won the top prize after scratching a 25X The Money ticket

A Chicago woman won $250,000 from her first-ever lottery ticket.

La Ongkwan Pinyapap instantly won the top prize after scratching a 25X The Money ticket, the Illinois Lottery said Wednesday in a statement. [[429941273, C]]

"This is the very first lottery ticket I have ever played!" she said. "My friend was buying a ticket, so I thought I should try one, too. We couldn’t believe it when I won!"

Pinyapap bought her ticket at the BP gas station on W. Fullerton Ave. in the city's Bucktown neighborhood and took it home to scratch. 

She plans to share the windfall with her family, according to the Lottery. [[221614871, C]] 

The store will receive a bonus of $2,500, or 1 percent of the prize amount, for selling the winning ticket.

25X The Money is a $5 instant ticket, the Lottery said, with 12 top prizes worth $250,000. Of those 12, six have not yet been claimed.

Contact Us