"I had to rub my eyes to believe it": Father of four used spare change at gas station to buy winning ticket
An ordinary gas stop turned into an unforgettable moment for one Ontario lottery player.
Donald Robbins is a 61-year-old father of four who lives in Trenton. He said he enjoys playing the lottery and his favourite games are Lotto Max, Lotto 6/49, Ontario 49, and Lottario.
One day, he stopped at a gas station to refuel and went into the store to use his change to buy a ticket.
“I saw lots of the number 13 on the ticket and my fiancée’s lucky number is 13,” he said. “I asked her to rub the ticket for good luck.”
Robbins was at work the day after the draw when he decided to check the winning numbers and the results made him do a double take.
“I had to rub my eyes to believe it,” he said.
Donald Robbins/OLG
Robbins had matched the last six of seven Encore numbers in the exact order in the April 18, 2023, Lotto Max draw, netting himself a $100,000 prize.
“Then I double-checked it and thought, ‘What am I going to do?'” he said.
After finding out about his win, he told his coworkers that he had to leave and recalled going home with a smile on his face.
“I was all excited,” he said. “I let my fiancée know what was going on. She was at work and was in shock.”
While at the OLG Prize Centre in Toronto to pick up his cheque, Robbins said the win gives him the chance to get ahead — he plans to use his winnings to pay some bills and put the rest towards investments.
“It’s unbelievable. I’m still wondering if I’m dreaming,” he said. “This could not have come at a better time.”
The winning ticket was purchased at Ultramar Express on Highway 33 in Trenton. The next Lotto Max draw will take place on Friday, May 12 with a jackpot worth $33 million.
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