Man Wins $2 Million In Lottery

Jayendra Shah will now be able to pay off his mortgage, help his daughter and daughter-in-law attend college and take his family to visit relatives in India.

It's all possible because he won $2 million in the Illinois Lottery's Platinum Payout 20X. It's a game that features a scratch-off ticket that costs $20.

As Shah was scratching off the ticket, "he saw 10x $200,000 and he got all excited," said Nick Modi, the owner of the N & M convenience store, 8012 N. Waukegan Road, Niles, where Shah had bought his ticket.

Modi tried to calm down Shah, even as he confirmed the ticket was a winner, Modi said.

"God has given me the best gift ever," Shah told lottery officials as they presented him with an oversized check Wednesday at N & M.  He purchased the winning ticket on Feb. 16.

Modi said Shah had bought a Niles townhouse a few months ago and wants to pay off the mortgage. He also has a daughter who wants to attend college and a daughter-in-law who wants to go to nursing school, so Shah will help both, Modi said. And he will also take family members here to visit relatives in India.

"He's a regular customer of mine," said Modi, who said most of his business comes from selling lottery tickets, candy, soda and cigarettes. The store will receive $20,000 for selling the winning $2 million ticket.

"I'm one of the top agents in the Illinois Lottery retailer business. That's what they told me," said Modi, who was wearing a Lottery Powerball T-shirt. 

"Because of people in Niles, I can make it. Without the lottery, I cannot make it," Modi said of his business. 

Modi has winning tickets in varying amounts from various lottery games displayed in his store. He has sold Little Lotto winners in the amounts of $30,000, $50,000 and $150,000, in addition to Shah's $2 million winner.

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