A lottery player from Ontario is glad he kept the ticket he didn’t originally want.
Chesterville resident, Robert Paquette, won the Lotto Max second prize of $405,465.40 in the August 9 draw.
The full-time granddad has been a regular lottery player with the Ontario Lottery and Gaming Corporation (OLG) for decades.
OLG
He makes sure to pick up his Lotto Max and Lotto 6/49 tickets regularly. This time around, the clerk printed Paquette a ticket, but it wasn’t the one he wanted.
Little did he know that this decision to keep the ticket would lead him to his first major lottery win.
“I went to the store to use the ticket checker, and when I scanned my ticket, I saw the ‘Big Winner’ message on the screen. My first thought was that the machine was broken, so I took my ticket over to the store clerk to have it validated,” Paquette recounted while visiting the OLG Prize Centre in Toronto to claim his winnings.
“The next thing I knew, I received a call on the store’s phone line. I was shaking like a leaf, still thinking something had to be wrong. When the long win slip printed, my win finally started to feel real.”
Paquette then told his wife, who was in disbelief.
“I was thinking, ‘How do I tell her?’ When I did reveal the news, she didn’t believe me,” he laughed. “Eventually, it started to sink in, and she was so excited!”
The granddad told OLG he experienced a rollercoaster of emotions with this win.
“Winning this prize has been quite the journey. I’ve experienced shock, disbelief, excitement, and joy!” said Paquette.
He plans to share the lottery prize with his wife and children, invest for his grandkids, and enjoy some bucket-list trips.
“The best part is being able to share this win with my children in a meaningful way. My heart feels full, and I’m so grateful for the opportunities this win will bring to me and my family,” Paquette smiled.
He bought the winning lottery ticket at MacEwen on Main Street North in Chesterville.
Paquette’s story could be similar to yours, so make sure to check your tickets. Someone in Canada woke up $1 million richer after a successful Lotto 6/49 draw on Wednesday.
All forms of gambling, including the lottery, involve risk and outcomes are based on chance. Individuals are strongly advised to gamble responsibly. If you are experiencing any signs of gambling-related issues, you can find resources here.