Illinois Lottery players got incredibly lucky last week when the Pick 4 evening draw on August 6 showed the numbers 4-4-4-4, with a Fireball number of 2. This uncommon outcome led to more than $6.9 million in total prizes for almost 3,200 ticket holders throughout the state.
Unusual Pick 4 Draw Leads to Wins for Over 2,700 Illinois Lottery Players
Lottery officials report that most winners, over 2,700 players, got $2,500 each by picking the “straight” play option, which requires all four numbers to match in exact order. The biggest prize from the draw, $30,000, went to someone playing online through the Illinois iLottery platform.
This was the first time since June 2024 that a quad sequence showed up in Pick 4. In fact, the Illinois Lottery pointed out that this has happened seven times since 2020, which makes last week’s event pretty rare.
Store owners also got a boost from the winning streak, earning a 1% cut on the value of the winning tickets they sold. Lottery executives reminded lucky players that they have a year from the draw date to claim their prize and urged them to sign the back of their ticket and store it until they cash it in.
Pick 4, along with its sister game Pick 3, is available in Illinois and has two draws each day at 12:40 p.m. and 9:22 p.m. Gamblers can pick their own numbers, choose how to play, and decide how much to bet. The Fireball option gives players another shot at winning by swapping the Fireball number for any of the drawn numbers.
Jackpots Grow and Quads Score as Lottery Players Get Lucky Across America
As Pick 4 winners celebrate, other lottery games grab attention. The Powerball jackpot has grown to over $500 million because no one matched all numbers in Monday’s draw. In California, a Mega Millions player won $4.6 million by matching five numbers but missing the Mega Ball.
Some stories show how unpredictable lottery luck can be. Take Jennifer Kleinendorst from North Carolina, who beat the odds to win big prizes twice in just two months. Her latest win was a $2 million scratch-off jackpot.
For players in Illinois, August 6 will stick in their minds for its repeating fours. This simple yet powerful combo turned thousands of regular tickets into major wins. The Illinois Lottery said these moments highlight the thrill of the game even when the chances are slim. And for players who picked four as their lucky number, it turned out to be a choice that paid off beyond just a gut feeling.