"I thought I won $20": Retired geologist realizes he's won big after 40 years of playing the lottery
A crossword player from Ontario is enjoying his giant lottery win after forty years of consistently playing the game.
Oshawa resident Stephen Goulbourne initially didn’t realize he had won 100,000 with the Instant Crossword Tripler.
“I played my ticket and noticed I had four words. I thought I won $20,” the retired geologist revealed while at the OLG Prize Centre in Toronto to pick up his winnings.
“But about 20 minutes later, I decided to recount my words and noticed I actually had six words in total.”
He finally realized the payout was a whopping $100,000, but it took him a while to believe it.
“This is a lot of money. It takes ten years to save this kind of money,” Goulbourne said.
The Instant Crossword Tripler game can be played for $5. Gourlbourne’s prize — $100,000 — is the top prize you can win with it. The odds of winning are about one-in-four.
Unlike most lottery players, Goulbourne has no fancy plans for plane rides and cruises. “I might go see a hockey game, and I will also share some with my daughter,” he said, smiling.
As he comes to terms with this massive windfall, more plans might pop up.
The winning ticket was purchased at a Bond Convenience & Gifts location in Oshawa.
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