As one Ontario man discovered, the only thing better than winning the lottery is winning for the second time.
Robert McLaughlin is a truck driver who lives in Caledon. He’s tried his luck in the lottery for over 20 years, and his persistence has definitely paid off — twice.
He stopped at a store one day to buy a Lotto 6/49 ticket.
“I was at home when I checked my tickets on the OLG app and saw the Big Winner screen. I thought, ‘Does that look right?’” he recalled.
The draw took place on April 20, and it turns out that McLaughlin won a Lotto 6/49 second prize worth $77,525.10.
“I said to my wife, ‘I think I won $77,000!’ and scanned the ticket for her,” he said. “She started screaming with excitement!”
For McLaughlin, it was probably a feeling of déjà vu.
Winner Robert McLaughlin of Caledon, Ontario (OLG)
“This is actually my second big win — I won $296,000 with Lottario in 2001,” he shared while at the OLG Prize Centre in Toronto to pick up his cheque.
He said he’ll use his winnings to pay some bills and share the money with his children.
And he still can’t believe how lucky he was the second time around.
“It’s unbelievable. It took a while to sink in,” said McLaughlin. “I kept thinking, ‘I can’t believe it happened again!’”
The winning ticket was purchased at Pik N Go Shoppe on Hurontario Street in Brampton.
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.