An Illinois lottery player is waking up to a brand new reality after claiming a staggering $536 million Mega Millions jackpot, according to the Illinois Lottery.

Choosing to remain anonymous, the winner is going by the nickname "Lucky Lady".

$536 Million Jackpot Winner in Illinois Finally Comes Forward

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What makes this story even more wild?  She almost didn't play at all.

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"I didn't even plan to play that day," she said, explaining that she tried to buy a ticket online the week before but forgot to complete the purchase.  She even joked with her boss that it "wasn't meant to go through."  Fast forward to March 10th, and something told her to try again.

The time, she took her time.  She reshuffled her numbers several times before landing on a ticket that included her favorite number: 16.  That decision ended up changing her life forever.

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"I couldn't believe it.  I was shaking," she said.  "I kept telling myself, 'This can't be real."  In fact, the moment felt so surreal that she had her daughter call a claim center just to confirm the win.  The ticket was purchased online, making it the second-largest online lottery prize ever win in the United States!  Lots of people are ditching the physical tickets these days.

As for what's next?  "Lucky Lady" already has some big dreams.  At the top of the list: a new family home with a swimming pool.  She's also planning a family meeting to decide how to celebrate... with a cruise or even a trip to Las Vegas on the table.

Considering the odds of winning is 1 in 290M, this really was a lightning bolt in a bottle.  And for one Illinois family, everything changed overnight.