Popular combination rewards thousands of lucky players

By Kate Northrop

Last week, the Illinois Lottery's Pick 4 game drew winning numbers 4-4-4-4, resulting in a massive $6.9 million payout to thousands of players in one drawing.

Thousands of Illinois lottery players won a share of more than $6.9 million in winnings after the in-state Pick 4 game drew a popular number combination.

In the evening drawing on Wednesday, Aug. 6, Pick 4 produced the winning numbers 4-4-4-4 with Fireball number 2, triggering a "statewide windfall," the Illinois Lottery announced.

Number combinations with the same four digits are often called "quads" and are a popular choice among lottery players, which is why the prize payout is so large.

Nearly 3,200 tickets were sold for the drawing, the Lottery said, and more than 2,700 players took home a $2,500 prize. One online lottery player even won $30,000, the largest prize awarded in the drawing.

The big collective win also sparked delight for lottery retailers, who earn a 1% selling bonus based on the prize amount of each winning ticket sold at their location, the Lottery explained in a press release.

The last time a quad was drawn in Illinois' Pick 4 game was over a year ago, when the June 26, 2024 drawing drew winning numbers 9-9-9-9.

Lottery winners in Illinois have one year from the draw date to claim their prize.

"The Illinois Lottery encourages all lucky winners to sign the back of their ticket and store it in a safe place until they are ready to claim their prize," the Lottery recommended.

The odds of matching all four numbers in a Pick 4 drawing are 1 in 10,000. Players can view a complete list of odds and prize payouts for Pick 4 by visiting the Prizes and Odds page.

Pick 4 drawings take place twice a day, once at 12:40 p.m. Central Time and again at 9:22 p.m. Central Time. Players may choose their own four numbers or select the Quick Pick option to allow the computer to choose numbers for you.

All winning numbers, prizes, and odds are published on Lottery Post's Illinois Lottery Results page right after each drawing.