$4 million Du Quoin scratch-off lotto winner

Bob Bytnar, the owner of Ye Olde Country Store ice cream and fudge shop in downtown Du Quoin has already told employer General Dynamics of Marion that his last shift as night supervisor will be a week from Friday after winning $4 million from an Illinois Lottery Gold Bullion scratch-off ticket.

The $20 ticket was purchased from an Illinois Lottery machine at the Du Quoin Farm Fresh store on Tuesday, Aug. 27. He scanned the ticket that same day, made a copy of the ticket and showed Farm Fresh staff members on Thursday.

The Illinois Lottery confirmed on Tuesday (yesterday) that the ticket is valid and is tentatively planning a press conference at the store on September 16.

Chester Dairy, which owns the Farm Fresh chain of milk stores in Southern Illinois, will get a 1 percent $40,000 commission for selling the ticket.

"I'm retired now," said the soft-spoken and sincere Bytnar who won $100,000 in the Illinois Little Lotto in 2009 and used the money to pay off his late wife's medical bills.

"I sent the check to Barnes Hospital," said Bytnar. "God knew that I needed the money and he has blessed me so much," said Bytnar in a telephone conversation this morning.

"I will be 66 years old in February," he said as he was leaving his shift from work this morning.

Bytnar opened the ice cream shop in downtown Du Quoin several years ago and operated it with his wife and daughter. His wife fell ill to cancer. Daughter Bobbie was married last year.

Bytnar said he will retire and continue to live in Du Quoin and operate the ice cream shop so he can spend more time with his friends.

The Gold Bullion game is the Illinois Lotter's 835th game since the lottery's inception and the odds of winning even a small amount of money are 2.83-1.

You can win a few dollars or with the "stack of bills" symbol you can win all 25 prizes totaling $4 million.