In a rare combination, the Illinois Lottery had a lucky pick of 4-4-4-4 in its Pick 4 results. This made thousands of players win, which made for a total payout of $6.9 million. In the Pick 4 lottery, a straight option requires the matching of four numbers in the exact same order, and this comes with the greatest potential prize. The Pick 4 option includes 10 numbers for each of the four balls, numbering from 0 to 9.

Illinois Lottery players had reason to celebrate last week after an extraordinary Pick 4 drawing resulted in a flood of winners. On Wednesday, the 6th of August, the evening draw produced the numbers 4-4-4-4, with the Fireball number coming up 2.

It marked the second time in just over a year that the Illinois Pick 4 game produced 'quad fours.' The previous occurrence was in June of 2024. The result created a payout frenzy, with nearly 3,200 winning tickets sold statewide.

According to the Illinois Lottery, 2,725 tickets won the top 'straight' prize of $2,500 on a 50-cent play by correctly predicting all four digits in the exact order. One online iLottery player claimed the highest prize of $30,000. An additional 460 players picked up wins through the optional Fireball feature.

The quad 4s are one of the most popular number combinations we see, a lottery spokesperson said. Whether it's for superstition, easy memorization, or tradition, a lot of players love to play it - and this time, it paid off big, the spokesperson added.

Statewide impact and retailer bonuses

The August 6 Pick 4 evening draw produced a total payout of $6.9 million. Retailers across the state also shared in the windfall, earning a 1% commission bonus for each winning ticket sold at their locations.

To put the scale of the win in perspective, the Illinois Lottery reported that Sunday night's draw just days later - with numbers 1-7-6-3 - produced only 810 winners, compared to over 3,100 from the quad 4s draw. The odds of winning the straight Pick 4 prize are 1 in 10,000. Pick 4 draws are held twice daily, with cut-off times of 12:35 pm and 9:15 pm.

Since its founding in 1974, the Illinois Lottery has funneled nearly all of its proceeds into the Common School Fund, which supports K-12 public education. The fund has received more than $25 billion.

A prayer answered in South Carolina

While Illinois players celebrated a rare numerical occurrence, a South Carolina woman claimed divine intervention helped her land a life-changing prize. "I was riding down the road, and I prayed for a lottery win," said the woman to the South Carolina Education Lottery. She continued, "That's exactly what I got."

The anonymous player pulled over on Bush River Road and bought a $20 '$2,000,000 Millionaire' scratch-off ticket at City Fuel & Food. Against 1-in-1,536,000 odds, she revealed one of the game's two $2 million top prizes. "It's a dream come true," she said. The retailer also hit the jackpot in its own way, earning a $20,000 commission for selling the winning ticket.

Mega Jackpots still in play

Aside from these individual wins, America's two largest lottery games continue to grow. Mega Millions, which last crossed the $1 billion mark before increasing its ticket price from $2 to $5, stands at $182 million for Tuesday evening's draw. Meanwhile, Powerball is offering a massive $501 million prize. The jackpot has been rolling over since May 31, when it was last won.

For lottery enthusiasts, last week's events serve as a reminder that life-changing wins can happen in unexpected ways - whether through a rare set of repeating numbers, a lucky scratch-off, or, if you believe it, a well-timed prayer.