Canadian spends $20 to buy lottery ticket, ends up $44 million richer

One Canadian spent $20 on a lottery ticket, not knowing it would lead to a massive, life-changing win.

Lottery player Doug Putland is a grandfather who lives in Prince Albert, Sask. He’s also a big fan of the Regina-based football team Saskatchewan Roughriders and has a bit of a game-day tradition.

“I’ve bought tickets for years,” he said. “I always bought them on the way to Roughriders games!”

One day, he stopped at a gas station on his way to a game, decked in his Roughriders fan gear, finishing the look with a green beard. Putland recalled how he bought a lottery ticket when he realized he had a $20 bill in his pocket.

“If I hadn’t had that $20 in my pocket, I never would have bought the ticket!” he shared.

After the draw, he decided to check his ticket and said he couldn’t understand what he was seeing.

Loto-Québec | AYO Production/Shutterstock

“I thought it was $44,000, then $440,000,” he recalled, laughing. “I went over to the counter, and all hell broke loose over it. The staff were all coming over to check.”

Putland said the magnitude of his win didn’t dawn on him until the cashier, using a pen, pointed out all the zeroes on his win.

“I put my hand over my heart. I was just in shock!” he said.

As he should be — after scoring the $44-million Lotto 6/49 jackpot in the Aug. 8 draw, Putland became an instant multimillionaire.

He asked someone to get his wife, who’d been waiting in the car, and he recalled that “she just went white” when he shared the news.

While claiming his prize, the generous grandpa said his main goal is to help his children and put money into his grandkids’ education.

“My wife was a teacher, so I’ve put her in charge of navigating that,” Putland said.

He also plans to fix baseball fields to honour his late cousin.

“He was my best friend,” he shared.

Putland added that he already bought himself a new truck and is excited to make memories and go on vacations with his family and friends.