An ordinary day turned into an extraordinary one for a lottery winner who discovered he had just won a five-figure prize.
Bihnam Shabo is a 45-year-old business owner who lives in Bradford, Ontario. The father of three said he enjoys playing Instant games and purchased some lottery tickets, including an Instant Roulette for $3.
“It was a regular day when I decided to purchase a few tickets,” he recalled. “When I saw that I won, I was initially confused — I thought it was a joke, or something must be wrong.”
So he did what most people would probably do in that situation and went to the store just to be sure.
“I went back to the store to check it, and after scanning it twice, I knew it was real,” he said.
Shabo had won the Instant Roulette top prize worth $75,000.
When reality finally hit him, he said he was so shocked and happy he started screaming.
“Everyone at the store was looking at me, and when I showed them my ticket, they all started to cheer and clap for me,” he recalled while at the OLG Prize Centre in Toronto to pick up his cheque. “It was a wonderful feeling.”
Shabo said that the experience has been amazing and life-changing.
“I’m going to pay off my mortgage,” he said. “I can’t wait to see my wife’s reaction when I surprise her with the cheque.”
Shabo bought his winning ticket at JF Variety on Finch Avenue in North York.