"I never had this much money before": Gen Z lottery player to buy a house after six-figure win
For one Gen Z lottery player, a recent six-figure win means more financial security and a chance to buy a home.
Haley Heaton is a 25-year-old mother of three who lives in Cambridge, Ontario. Heaton said she occasionally plays Instant tickets, and while at the store one day, she decided to buy an Instant Top Up lottery ticket, which costs $1 per play.
“I went to the store to cash my tickets, and the retailer asked if I wanted a Top Up,” she recalled. “I said yes, and that’s when I saw it said ‘Jackpot.'”
Haley Heaton of Cambridge, Ontario (OLG)
Heaton was shocked to learn that she had won the Instant Top Up jackpot, which had grown to $274,873.30.
“I couldn’t believe what I was seeing — my mind was blank,” she said while at the OLG Prize Centre to pick up her cheque.
For her, winning the lottery has been an overwhelming experience filled with mixed emotions.
“I was excited and nervous,” she said. “I never had this much money before. With my age, I feel very lucky.”
She already has plans for her winnings: she’ll pay off her car and use the money as a downpayment for a house.
“It’s an unreal feeling,” she said.
Heaton’s winning ticket was purchased at Little Short Stop on Hespeler Road in Cambridge.
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