Lockport Resident Wins $750,000 Lottery Prize

LOCKPORT, IL — “I told my boss I needed to leave work early due to a lottery emergency!” Lockport resident David Balma said when he presented his $750,000 winning Ultimate Crossword ticket at the Lottery Prize Center in Springfield.

Born and raised in Joliet, Balma has lived in Lockport for more than 20 years and commutes to his Technical Support job in Schaumburg.

“Traffic was light and I was really early for work one morning, so I stopped at a store and bought an Ultimate Crossword ticket.” He was in his office when he scratched the ticket and won a top prize of $750,000. “I couldn’t believe it! I checked and re-checked my ticket several times and then my hands started shaking.” He immediately signed the back of the ticket, showed it to his boss, and then left work. He plans to share the windfall with family and invest for retirement.

Balma purchased his winning ticket at 7-Eleven, 1644 E. Algonquin Road, in Schaumburg. The retailer received $7,500, one percent of the prize amount, for selling the winning ticket. Ultimate Crossword is a $25 instant ticket featuring top prizes of $750,000 and $75,000. For more information, please visit illinoislottery.com.